00:00Edo State Commissioner of Police, Monday Agbonica has announced the commencement of house-to-house arrest of people suspected or identified as members of a secret cult group in the South-South Geopolitical State of Nigeria.
00:13The Commissioner of Police through the statement issued by the Edo State Police Command spokesperson, Moses Yamu a few days ago, said that 28 persons were recently arrested during a raid in the state early this month, and, 19 of them were implicated as members of secret cult group and charged to court after what the State Police Command described as professional screening.
00:36In the statement, the police said, the Edo State Command has sustained its fight against crime through visibility policing, community engagements and sustained raids of criminal hideouts in the state.
00:48On the 4th of June 2025, between 1600 hours and 2200 hours, operatives of the command carried out raids of criminal hideouts within Benin City.
01:00During the raids, 28 persons were arrested and professionally screened where 19 of them found implicated, were charged to court.
01:08In continuation of its fight against cultism, the command has commenced the house-to-house arrests of identified cult members in the state to ensure that cultism is either eliminated or brought to its barest minimum.
01:22Three suspects who were arrested from various locations have confessed to being members of the IEA and AEA confraternities respectively.
01:30They have been arraigned before the court accordingly.
01:32On this note, CP Monday Agbonica, FTC expresses confidence that the general public would have no fear of crimes as he warned all cult members to either denounce cultism and turn a new leaf, relocate from the state or face the full wrath of the law as contained in the Edo State secret cult and other related activities prohibition law.
01:53The command can be reached on the following lines, Control Room, 08037646272, 08077773721, Public Complaints Bureau, PCB, 081509999335, Complaints Response Unit, CRU, 081003899992.
02:20Meanwhile, the Edo State Commissioner of Police, CP Monday Agbonica, FTC on the 28th of May 2025 summoned all area commanders, PMF commanders, DPOs, tactical team commanders etc. for a briefing at the police officers' mess, Benin City.
02:39During the briefing, the Commissioner of Police commended the officers for not relenting in the discharge of the duties, as he attributed the successes recorded so far to their relentless efforts.
02:50On the issue of unprofessional conduct, the CP warned all officers to lecture their men against acts unbecoming of police officers, noting that zero tolerance for unprofessionalism must be maintained.
03:02On this note, the command assures the public that it will continue to improve its service delivery with utmost professionalism, Moses Yamu stated in a press release.
03:12We have reported that the Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebolo has called for more stakeholders' supports and actions towards ending secret cult-related killings and other organized violent crimes in the state,
03:25stating that the aged non-secret cult war in the south-south state of Nigeria has driven away a lot of investors and as such, Edo State has been at a loss of $1 billion every year,
03:37with statistics, according to the governor showing that the natives of Edo State top the list of the highest diaspora remittances in Nigeria,
03:45but, over 95% of the natives divert the funds to other states to avoid secret cult violence in the state also known as the heartbeat of the nation.
03:55We have reported that the Edo State government led by Governor Monday Okpebolo has issued an executive order,
04:02blacklisting a government-registered acclaimed sociocultural organization, the Neo-Black Movement, NBM as a violent organization among those responsible for violent crimes of
04:12high rates of secret cult-related homicide killings in the state, and in a swift reaction,
04:18the president of the Neo-Black Movement of Africa, NBM, Olorogunase Kikor, while speaking with a panel of presenters at Arise News Television during the TV program,
04:30accused the governor, Monday Okpebolo of allegedly using members of the Black Axe Confraternity during his election,
04:37adding that the governor never consulted with them to know if members of Black Axe Confraternity are also members of the Neo-Black Movement,
04:45saying, the governor is now attacking NBM because of Black Axe,
04:50stressing that, Black Axe Confraternity is a criminal organization,
04:54insisting that, members of the Confraternity are never members of the NBM,
04:59and shortly after the NBM president's statement,
05:02large group of youths in Edo State led a solidarity protest match to the Edo State Government House in Benin City
05:09to express their support and willingness to defend the government policies and actions
05:14to stop the massive destructions of lives and creation of young widows and high rates of fatherless children in the state due to secret cult activities.
05:23This, assessments of some of the pro-government policy protesters indicated that some of them are people
05:28who may have identified themselves in the past as members of the Neo-Black Movement
05:33and they also appeared to be people very loyal to one of the prominent leaders of the NBM,
05:39Anthony Arden aka Tony Kabaka who trended when he was interviewed about the activities of the NBM
05:45in a BBC documentary published by the British Broadcasting Service some years back.
05:51We had report that, in apparent anger, Edo State Government under the leadership of Governor Munday Okpebholo
05:58has issued a serious warning with a strong message sent to the president of the Neo-Black Movement of Africa,
06:05NBM, Olarogunasekakor that the Edo State Government has started consultations to enable it take more appropriate legal action
06:14against the Neo-Black Movement, saying,
06:16the international headquarters or secretariat of the movement situated at a MAGBA area in Benin City
06:23that was demolished last month by the state government,
06:27has been an enclave used for planning and execution of secret cult-related killings by members of the Neo-Black Movement.
06:33The governor also referred to and described as Black Acts secret cult,
06:38probably expressing more anger that the leadership and members of the Neo-Black Movement
06:43had the courage to come out publicly to identify themselves with the demolished building.
06:48The governor said they will be made to face prosecution.
06:51This, the national president of the Neo-Black Movement, Olarogunasekakor,
06:56while speaking in reaction to the demolished building on Arise News TV program,
07:01said,
07:01The movement is not Black Acts, emphasizing that Black Acts is a criminal organization
07:07while the Neo-Black Movement is a social-cultural organization that promote and engage in humanitarian services.
07:15It would be recalled that we had reported that the Edo State Police Command of Nigeria Police Force
07:20has confirmed the arrest of 95 persons in connection with the killing of more than 15 people
07:26between April 25, 2025 and now in the renewed deadly and bloody apparent supremacy secret cult war
07:33in the state among members of the Black Acts Confraternity aka A.E.A.
07:38Maphite Confraternity aka Great Men and I.A. Confraternity aka Airlines
07:42which started with the killing of a physiotherapist, simply identified as Alex,
07:48and another individual at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital,
07:51UBTH Backgate, or BOO, in Benin,
07:55with the Edo State Government led by Governor Munday Okpebholo
07:59launching a retaliatory war against businesses and individuals
08:03allegedly aiding secret cult killings in the state,
08:07thus, sealed off Eterno Hotel,
08:09planned to demolish the hotel owed by peoples.
08:13Democratic Party, PDP Chieftain, Honorable Matthew Idaikemwen,
08:18who was the Director General of Aswan, Ogie campaign organization
08:22in the last governorship election in the state,
08:25on the ground that a particular secret cult group members gathered at the Eterno Hotel
08:29to plan their recent killings in the state,
08:32and in addition, the Edo State Governor also sealed off
08:35and marked a residential building for demolition also owed by a PDP chieftain,
08:41Francis and Egbeneke.
08:42We started by raiding cultists in their known hideouts,
08:46then we started by checking off the roads
08:50to see whether we can discourage the activities of cultists,
08:54but now we have gone a step further.
08:56We are now going after them in their homes.
09:00We get their names, we have their names,
09:02so this is a message to all cultists that think they can hibernate,
09:06they can hide in their fathers' houses,
09:09or wherever, within Benin City, or in the hinterlands,
09:13that we are coming after them,
09:14we have their names, we have their addresses.
09:16Ossas who are on level,
09:18bringing youth to news in a more digital way.
