The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Edo State government are engaged in a heated exchange over rising insecurity, including kidnappings and violent crimes. The PDP has accused the state government of neglecting its duty to protect residents, while the government claims these allegations are politically motivated.
In a statement, Chris Nehikhare, Publicity Secretary of the Edo PDP Caretaker Committee, noted that the state has become a haven for kidnappers and criminal gangs.
“Edo State is in chaos, the people are under siege, and the Chief Security Officer of the State, Senator Monday Okpebholo, appears confused and completely incapable of managing the escalating insecurity,” he stated.
Nehikhare further alleged that despite receiving N750 million monthly in security votes, the government has failed to address the worsening situation. Instead, he claimed, funds were being misused for political interests rather than security improvements.
“We want to remind Senator Okpebholo that his first responsibility, no matter how bereft of integrity his mandate is, is to protect the lives and property of Edo people, and on this, he has woefully failed,” he added.
However, Governor Monday Okpebholo has dismissed the PDP’s claims, insisting they are attempts to mislead the public and discourage investors. In a statement released by his spokesperson, Fred Itua, the governor strongly denied the allegations.
“Edo State is not, and will never be, the so-called ‘capital of kidnapping and violent crimes’ as Nehikhare maliciously claims,” the statement read.
He further accused the previous PDP-led administration under Governor Godwin Obaseki of allowing security to collapse, citing the kidnapping of the party’s chairman, Anthony Aziegbemi, in Benin as an example of their failures.
The governor reassured residents that his administration is making significant progress in tackling crime and called on the PDP to stop spreading what he described as politically motivated falsehoods.
“No amount of politically motivated falsehoods from a failed PDP propaganda machine can erase the progress being made by Governor Okpebholo,” he stated.
