SPECIAL SECURITY SQUAD LAUNCHES MANHUNT FOR CULT LEADERS, KIDNAP GANGS

The newly formed Special Security Squad, codenamed Operation Flush Out Kidnappers and Cultists, has made a decisive entry into Edo’s security landscape with the arrest of over 20 suspects in its first major operation in Benin City.

The operation, which took place on Tuesday, July 15, 2025, saw coordinated raids on crime hotspots including Isiohor, Iguosa, Oluku, Ibiwe, and Lagos Street. The squad recovered drugs, weapons, and other incriminating materials, and sealed off a hotel allegedly used as a criminal hideout.

The initiative, launched by Governor Monday Okpebholo, is Edo State’s boldest response yet to rising insecurity, especially cult violence and kidnapping.

John Adewale Eseikhaigbe, a member of the Special Squad, praised the Governor for the initiative, describing him as a “leader with a heart for peace.”

“The Governor didn’t just talk. He acted. The killing and criminality had to stop, and he gave the marching order,” Eseikhaigbe said.

“We’ve begun what will be a total clean-up of Edo. This is not a one-off—it’s a continuous operation.”

He emphasized that the operation cuts across all forms of organized crime cultism, drug trafficking, kidnapping, and armed robbery which are often interlinked.

“We found drugs, weapons, and other items linked to criminal operations. We’re not just chasing cultists, we’re dismantling the entire ecosystem that feeds crime in Edo,” he added.

Eribo Emwanta, another team member, clarified that the sealing of a hotel in Isiohor was not political or personal.

“That hotel is under scrutiny because it appears to have been a base for suspected criminals. The owner will be invited to explain. This is about safety, not witch-hunting,” he said.

Amielemen Idemudia Noah also weighed in, noting that Governor Okpebholo is pained by the recent surge in killings and is taking bold steps to restore law and order.

The Special Security Squad is a joint task force comprising the Police, Military, NSCDC, vigilante groups, local hunters, and repentant cultists a strategic blend designed to combine intelligence, community presence, and brute force where needed.