Governor Monday Okpebholo
In its dogged determination to flush out suspected criminal elements sponsoring cultism, criminal gangs and ritual practices in Edo State, the state government on Wednesday unleased further onslaught on alleged cult leaders, recovering incriminating materials.
The government has also sealed multiple properties linked to these suspected cult leaders following the discovery of a shrine in Egbaen community and a violent confrontation in Evboyare that claimed a life.
Newsmata.com.ng reports that the coordinated operation, codenamed “Operation Flush Out Cultists and Kidnappers”, was led by the Squad’s coordinator, Idemudia Noah, in collaboration with allied security agencies.
A press statement by Fred Itua, the chief press secretary to Governor Monday Okpebholo, explained that acting on intelligence reports, operatives stormed a residence in Egbaen, Egor Local Government Area, in the early hours of Wednesday, August 20, 2025, adding, though the building was unoccupied, a search uncovered a secluded shrine at the rear of the premises where officers found a white casket and fetish items believed to have been used for initiation rituals and other clandestine activities.
In a swift response, the Edo State Government ordered the immediate sealing of the property, “an emphatic signal of its resolve to dismantle the physical and spiritual infrastructure sustaining cultism across the state”.
The statement said “simultaneously, security forces moved to Evboyare community in Uhunmwode Local Government Area, which had been the scene of a bloody clash between rival confraternities, the Eiye and Maphite, leaving one person, identified as Festus, dead.
“The residence of the alleged Maphite leader, Felix Aigbedion, was sealed after intelligence linked him to the crisis”, the government said, adding that Aigbedion, now declared wanted, “is believed to have masterminded the assault during a community dispute that spiraled into cult violence”.
The statement lamented that “By the time operatives arrived, Evboyare lay in desolation. Homes, vehicles, and personal property bore the marks of destruction, while spent cartridges littered the ground; grim evidence of the crossfire that terrorised residents and forced families to flee. Two locally made firearms were recovered from a poultry house, which investigators identified as a makeshift armory for cultists”.
Speaking after the operation, Idemudia Noah reaffirmed the government’s uncompromising posture.
Noah emphasised that “The administration of Governor Monday Okpebholo is unwavering in its determination to purge Edo State of cult-related violence and criminal syndicates. We have sealed the property of Mr. Felix Aigbedion, who has been implicated in the fatal clash at Evboyare, as well as the Egbaen residence of Mr. Marvellous Adetarami, where a shrine was uncovered.
“These measures are not symbolic. They are a clear statement that clandestine activities will no longer find sanctuary in Edo State”.
According to Noah, investigations have also unearthed disturbing evidence of extortion during initiation processes, including the forced transfer of money from victims to cultists. He said the Police had been fully briefed and were pursuing prosecutions.
While warning criminal elements, Noah declared: “Cultists have only two options: renounce or leave Edo State. The full weight of the law will descend on anyone who persists. This government is committed to securing Edo for its people and ensuring peace, stability, and a safe environment for commerce and community life.”