Oshiomhole, Imasuen, Onobun Seek External Help to Curb Insecurity in Edo State

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By Correspondent

The urgent need to solve the recent rate of insecurity in some parts of Edo State, has attracted calls from some National Assembly legislators from Edo State.

Senator Adams Oshiomhole, APC, representing Edo North Senatorial District; Senator Neda Imasuen, LP, representing Edo South Senatorial District and Rt. Hon. Marcus Onobun, PDP, representing Igueben, Esan Central, Esan West Constituency, have all called for urgent attention to curb the current worrisome situation in different parts of the state.

They all took turn in recent weeks to raise the disturbing situation on the floor of the National Assembly.

First to speak was the Distinguished Senator Imasuen who through ‘Order 41 and 51′, drew the attention of the Senate to “skirmishes’ in Ovia South West and other places in Edo State.

He raised a Motion Urging the Federal Government to halt the killings in the Edo State.

Titled: “A motion on the need for the Federal Government to halt the clash in Ovia South West and Ovia North East in Edo South Senatorial District, leading to the death of scores of persons,” was overwhelmingly received by the Senate.

Presenting the motion, the Senator drew the attention of the Senate to Order 41 and 51 of the senate standing order, which allows a Senator to move motions of urgent national importance without going through the legislative protocols as required by the rules of the Senate in the presentation of motions.

Senator Imasuen went ahead to inform the Senate on the urgency required to halt the clash to avoid more “deaths as the crises had already led to the death of many persons in the affected communities.”

The Senate president agreed with him that, the motion is of urgent national importance, worthy of consideration.

The former governor of Edo State, Senator Adams Oshiomhole lent his voice to the security challenges, by describing the security situation as Edo State under siege.

“In fact, it will be more correct to say the entire Edo State is under siege,” Distinguished Senator Oshiomhole added.

Following the motions by the two senators, a former speaker of Edo State House of Assembly, now member of the House of Representatives, representing Igueben, Esan West, Esan Central Federal Constituency joined the call for Federal intervention to stop the rising “Wave of Killings in Edo.”

Onobun urged the Federal Government to intervene urgently, while he also called on the House to resolve that the Inspector-General of Police should deploy additional security personnel and enhance intelligence gathering to neutralise criminal flashpoints in the state.

Onobun underscored Edo State’s significance as the “heartbeat of the nation.” He lamented that the state was “losing its pulse” due to incessant attacks by criminal elements.

The lawmaker referenced a report published in Leadership Newspaper on February 26, 2025, which documented over 32 deaths attributed to violent attacks in different parts of Edo.

*Gov. Okpebholo address victims of violent attack in Edo State*

He detailed specific incidents, including the murder of two indigenous residents in Okpekpe, the deaths of at least 28 persons in a clash between cocoa farmers and militants in Ovia South West, and the assassination of a vigilante leader in Owan West.

The House of Representatives there after, unanimously approved the motion with the Speaker, Tajudeen Abbas calling on the Federal Government to, “…address the escalating insecurity in Edo.”

However, the Governor of the state, Senator Monday Okpebholo, eventually visited the troubled communities, and has vowed to bring to justice those responsible for the brutal killings and destruction of properties across the seven communities in the Ovia South West Local Government Area of the state. He promised to bring the people lasting peace.

He assured them that efforts would be made to establish a police outpost in the area to prevent future attacks. The governor’s visit came two weeks after the mayhem.

It will be recalled that on February 21, 2025, some yet to be identified gunmen killed several locals and properties were also destroyed in about seven communities in Ovia South West Local Government Area.

Some of the affected communities are Marindoti, Gbelemontin Domiju, Kola Village, Taiye Camp, and Eto Camp all in Ovia South West. They are reported to be predominantly farmers.

The fate of the victims in Ovia North East and Okpekpe is yet to be ascertained.