Obaseki Orders Return of Suspended Edo Security Outfit Amidst Surge in Insecurity

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Outgoing governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki, has ordered the resumption of operations by the hitherto suspended Edo State Security Network, (ESSN) amidst worsening security situation in the state. The state had been under siege as rival cult members hacked each other to death on the streets and in broad daylight.


Recall that on September 12, 2024, at a stakeholder meeting organised by the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC) preparatory to the September 21 governorship election in the state, the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, had banned all local security outfits from participating in the election.


The move by the IG could have been informed by the spate of political violence during electioneering, which on July 17 claimed the life of Inspector Akor Onu, a police security detail attached to the then candidate of the All-Progressives Congress, (APC) now governor-elect, Senator Monday Okpebholo. The ESSN was fingered as responsible for the fatal shooting.


Clamping down on the outfit, Egbetokun said, “The activities of the Edo State Security Network are suspended and will remain so”.


But a statement on Tuesday signed by Chris Osa Nehikhare, commissioner for communication and orientation, said the governor had directed the return of the ESSN after the state Security Council meeting on Monday during which the Council reviewed the recent rise in homicides and other security incidents in the state.

The government warned that the current state of insecurity would not be tolerated, while the state Commissioner of Police had been mandated to ensure the restoration of order and sanity in the state.

The state government reiterated its commitment to ensuring the safety of lives and property in the state.