More than 24 hours after kidnappers killed eight personnel of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and abducted scores of passengers and a Chinese expatriate in Edo State, the government has yet to issue an official response, sparking outrage among citizens and civil society groups.

 

The attacks occurred on Friday, September 5, 2025. Passengers aboard a New Edo Line Transport Company bus were abducted along the Sobe–Afuze–Auchi Road in Owan West LGA around 4:30 pm. Later the same day, armed men stormed BUA Cement Company in Okpella, Etsako East LGA, killing eight NSCDC officers and abducting a Chinese national.

 

Despite the scale of the incidents, there has been no statement from Governor Monday Okpebholo, his media aides, or the Commissioner for Information, Paul Ohonbamu, either to console bereaved families or address public concern.

 

Observers recall that the governor only spoke two weeks after Ijaw militias attacked cocoa farming communities in Ovia South-West LGA earlier this year, killing over 27 farmers. The delayed response has fueled accusations that the government consistently fails to react promptly to security crises.

 

The Edo Civil Society Organisations (EDOCSO) condemned the government’s silence, urging it to prioritize security over politics and use monthly security votes effectively. In a statement signed by Aliyu Umweni, the group demanded:

 

Revival of the state’s dismantled CCTV monitoring apparatus.

 

Procurement of high-tech equipment and formation of a special squad to track kidnappers.

 

An end to police extortion at numerous city checkpoints, calling instead for focus on violent crime.

 

 

EDOCSO warned that if no action is taken within 48 hours, it will mobilize mass protests.

 

The Edo State Civil Society Coalition for Human Rights, in a separate statement signed by Marxist Kola Edokpayi and Aghatise Raphael, called on the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency on insecurity in Edo State. The coalition urged the establishment of joint strike operations involving the military, police, hunters, and communities to flush out criminals from forests across the state.

 

“Edo State has become a tragic theatre of insecurity, a landscape where fear rules and the lives of ordinary citizens are treated with shocking disregard,” the coalition said, warning that governance and peace could collapse entirely if urgent measures are not taken.

 

 

The groups highlighted a string of violent incidents across Edo, including:

 

Abduction of Catholic seminarians, who have been in captivity for over 50 days.

 

Kidnapping of doctors along the Benin–Auchi Road.

 

Farmers seized from farmlands in Esan.

 

A community leader snatched in Ekpoma.

 

The abduction of Chief Balogun in Akoko Edo.

 

 

Citizens are now questioning the capacity of security agencies and the governor’s role as the Chief Security Officer of the state.

 

Political Undertones

 

Critics accuse Governor Okpebholo of focusing on political promises, including the controversial pledge of “2.5 million votes for Tinubu in 2027,” instead of addressing worsening insecurity.

 

Other groups, including Gidigba, former commissioner Ogbeide Ifaluyi-Isibor, ex-Etsako LGA Vice Chairman Hon. Jelil Ainakhuagbor, and activist Elder Curtis Eghosa Ugbo, have joined calls for urgent intervention, warning that citizens will take to the streets if government inaction persists.