Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, has raised alarm over what he described as a growing network of criminal syndicates allegedly recruiting operatives from outside the state to carry out kidnappings and other violent crimes.
Speaking on Wednesday at the 2026 Ministers’ Conference organised by the Edo State chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Benin City, the governor said insecurity in the state remains a serious concern despite ongoing security operations.
Okpebholo alleged that local collaborators are increasingly outsourcing kidnapping operations to external gangs, who carry out abductions in forested areas while victims are handed over to hired criminals.
“Our people are now going outside Edo to recruit criminals to help them do the job. They will kidnap somebody and hand the victim over to them in the bush,” he said.
He further claimed that proceeds from criminal activity are being used to fund luxury lifestyles, including expensive cars and property development.
“Tomorrow you will see them driving expensive cars and building houses. How are they getting these things? They will tell you they are Yahoo Boys,” he added.
The governor cited a recent security report along Sapele Road that initially prompted a deployment of security operatives, only for officials to later discover that no incident had actually occurred.
Okpebholo also warned against interference in criminal cases, urging religious leaders to avoid intervening on behalf of suspects arrested for crime-related offences.
“Pastors, if you hear that I have arrested somebody, don’t come to beg me,” he told the gathering.
While acknowledging that Edo State is not completely free of security challenges, the governor argued that the situation is often exaggerated for political reasons.
“All of this is just to bring this government down, to give it a bad name. It is not that we are free, but not in the way they are hyping it,” he said.
He assured residents that security agencies were working continuously to prevent criminal groups from gaining a foothold in the state and restore public confidence.
Okpebholo also called for prayers for President Bola Tinubu, noting that the removal of fuel subsidy, though difficult, was already yielding visible developmental outcomes in Edo State.
Clerics at the event commended the governor for his leadership and commitment to public service, praying for the successful completion of his tenure and continued development in the state. They also praised ongoing rehabilitation work on the Benin-Sapele Road.
