Sen. Monday Okpebholo, the governor of Edo State, has stated that he would not think twice about signing a death warrant for a kidnapper found guilty in the state, as required by law.
Therefore, he urged those who were still involved to put an end to the illegal activities. Governor Okpebholo made this announcement during a stakeholder meeting with leaders and members of the Arewa community in Esan territory at the Uromi Town Hall in the Esan North East local government region.
A bill modifying the Kidnapping Prohibition Amendment Law (and Related Matters 2013) was enacted by the Edo State House of Assembly (EDHA). It stipulates that kidnappers will be executed and that the properties used in their crimes must be seized and demolished.
Okoebholo said “I take the issue of insecurity seriously and will not bend the rules but apply them strictly. The new law in the State permits us to demolish their properties and confiscate their lands. We will build vigilante team offices on those lands.”
“We will bring kidnappers to the public and execute them to show our seriousness, according to the laws already passed by the EDHA. I will not be afraid to sign it,” he declared.
“The kind of security we want to have in the State is one where security remnants women are paid salaries, unlike before where the people will just put on uniforms without being paid. We are going to employ vigilante teams and pay them salaries and stop people from just putting on their uniforms.”
“These people will work with security agencies and they will be trained on how to fight crimes and handle criminals. I will not wait until campaign time to solve your problems. I will start to address the problems facing our people in the market, and everywhere.”
“It is time to start profiling people from other States who claim to be from the North and ensure they don’t spoil your name. We will fence the market, put streetlights, and build abattoirs for those who kill cows. We want to secure the people of Edo State.”
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, according to Governor Okpebholo, has been very supportive in preventing further harm from the Uromi murders because he loves the North.
The governor and the Onojie of Uromi were commended by Alhaji Bawa Umar, the chairman of Arewa in Edo Central, for the restored peace. He said the Arewa community will assist the governor’s administration to make sure it succeeds and that the governor is performing well in terms of state security.
Alhaji Isah Muhammad, the chairman of the Uromi Cattle Market, expressed gratitude to the governor for his handling of the Uromi incident, which he claimed reduced tension in the region.
Monday Agbonika, the Commissioner of Police, stated that due to the measures implemented by the state government and security agencies, there will not be any retaliatory attacks following the murder of the 16 hunters in Uromi.
When he visited the Edo State council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), he provided the promise.
According to Mr. Agbonika, the state governor has significantly reduced the tension that would have resulted from the murder by sending a delegation to the North to visit the surviving family members.
“I can tell you that a lot of measures have been taken about the Uromi case and we can say that, we are not expecting any reprisal attacks in respect of the Uromi incident.”
“The governor of Edo state, His Excellency, Senator Monday Okpebholo, has done a lot on Uromi case alone because when I first came, we went to Uromi together. Before then, he went to Kano State and to console with the people of Kano State and to ask them to talk to their people in Edo State not to carry out any attack and as a matter of fact, I can tell you that because of his visit, he succeeded in convincing the governor of Kano State to come to Edo State.”
“And so, the deputy governor of Kano State paid a visit to Edo State and on behalf of the government of Kano state and we went to Uromi, we spoke with all the stakeholders in Uromi, including the Hausa community, the Esan community, and you could tell that, that visit alone and all the actions that the governor took have been able to appease the people and has set the records right.”
“We can be sure that there is going to be peace there and in addition to that, I felt that we could not just stay on Uromi alone, we also have the neighbouring communities that also have a high number of northern settlers.”
“So, I stayed back and I went around to all the state. I went up to Igara. I went to Auchi and I met the communities there and of course, I told them that what has happened has happened and that we must continue to live in peace.”
“And I have been assured by their leaders that they are going to continue to live in peace as they have been living.”
“So, I think that problem is solved”, Agbonika said.
