The Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, has granted amnesty to more than 500 cultists who renounced their membership of cult groups, warning that there would be no mercy for those who refused to do so, even if they were his own children.
Okpebholo gave the warning in Benin City during a mass voluntary renunciation and denunciation of cultism ceremony organised by the Edo State Special Security Squad (ESSS), where more than 500 members of various cult groups publicly renounced their membership.
The governor commended the youths for renouncing cultism, saying they had chosen the right path to save their lives and spare their families further pain.
“My job is clear. I swore an oath to protect Edo people, and I will do that without fear or favour. Even if my own son is involved in cultism or kidnapping, I will not spare him. There is no hiding place for criminals in Edo State,” he warned.
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“On our part, we are not afraid to go after cultists and criminal elements in the state. Please take the message back to those who have not changed. They still have the opportunity to renounce cultism because if they are caught, there will be no mercy,” he said.
The governor said Edo recorded more than 300 cult-related killings annually when his administration assumed office, noting that the figure had since dropped to almost zero.
“Through stronger laws, better security operations, improved intelligence and tougher enforcement, these killings have been reduced to almost zero,” he said.
Also speaking, the Edo State Commissioner of Police, Patrick Daaor, likened cultism to a deceptive path that leads to destruction.
He noted that many youths had lost their lives and futures to cultism, describing it as a path that might appear attractive at first but ultimately ends in death.
The police commissioner commended Okpebholo for the amnesty initiative, saying it showed that the governor valued the future of Edo youths and was determined to protect it.
“What you are doing today is unfolding one of the bundles of God’s mercies. Grab this opportunity with both hands. Don’t trifle with it,” Daaor told the repentant cultists.
The Commissioner for Public Safety and Security, Festus Ebea, described the exercise as a step in the right direction towards achieving the security component of the governor’s SHINE Agenda.
He said the administration had zero tolerance for kidnapping, cultism and other criminal activities.
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