Governor Monday Okpebholo of Edo State has alleged that some Edo residents now go to a certain part of Nigeria to recruit criminals for kidnapping, armed robbery among other crimes in the state.

Mr Okpebholo stated this while addressing participants at the 2026 Ministers’ Conference, organised by the Edo Chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) on Wednesday in Benin.

According to him, the gathering is to discuss insecurity in Edo and Nigeria. He said most of the reports on social media on insecurity are false.

He said he received a report about an incident along Sapele Road and directed security to immediately storm the area, only to find out that it was not true.

“Our people now recruit criminals to help them do the job, they will kidnap somebody and hand over to the people in the bush.

“Tomorrow you will see them driving expensive cars, building houses, how are they getting these things, they will tell you they are Yahoo Boys.

“They are these, they are that, if you hear that we have arrested somebody, don’t come to beg me.

“Some reports on insecurity are just to bring this government down, to give this government a bad name but it’s not that there is no insecurity, the false alarms are another issue in this country,” he said.

The governor said there are volunteers who are now positioned in the forests just to make sure criminals do not settle down in Edo.

He, however, requested for a special prayer for President Bola Tinubu from the congregation, noting that the president’s decision on fuel subsidy removal was necessary, and the reason behind the “infrastructural development currently going on across Edo”.

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Also speaking, Margaret Agbonifo, a pastor and chairperson of Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria in Edo, lauded the governor for his “commitment to the work of God”, just as she appreciated God for Nigeria.

“Nigeria is alive today is to the glory of God. Thank God for showing us mercy, the enemy doesn’t want to hear the name Nigeria again but by the mercy of God, we shall overcome all our current challenges,” she said.

Ms Agbonifo prayed that insurgency would not bring the country to an end, and also prayed that Mr Okpebholo will finish strong and leave Edo better than he met it.

“You will be the best among all the governors that have ruled Edo, you will not fail. The Lord will strengthen you. Edo will not tell a bad story about you,” she added.

Another speaker, Alfred Agbonlahor, a cleric and vice chairman of CAN in Edo, commended the governor for the ongoing construction work on the Benin-Sapele Road.

(NAN)

Edo governor says some residents recruit criminals from other states to commit crimes

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