Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, on Wednesday personally supervised the demolition of a building allegedly used by cultists and internet fraudsters in Ogheghe, Benin, as part of his administration’s renewed crackdown on criminal hideouts.
The building, which was reportedly linked to kidnapping and ritual activities, was flattened under the governor’s watch.
According to reports, victims were held against their will for years, and shrines were discovered within the premises.
Visibly disturbed by the findings, Governor Okpebholo described the discovery as “wickedness in its highest form.”
“I am saddened by what is happening here. Children were kidnapped and kept here for years. You can see the shrines in this apartment. This kind of evil is unacceptable in Edo State,” he said.
He vowed that his administration would not relent in identifying and dismantling criminal strongholds.
“Wherever criminals hide, we will fish them out and demolish their hideouts. There will be no sanctuary for criminals in Edo State. We are serious and resolute. Edo must be safe,” he said.
The governor also announced that the land where the building once stood would be used to serve public interest, starting with the construction of a police station.
In a related operation, the state government also pulled down a suspected cult operational base at the end of Arena Street in Amagba, Benin.
The structure included a hall, office spaces, and rooms equipped with mattresses, believed to be used for cult-related activities.
A moat allegedly used for initiation rituals was also discovered on the premises.
The latest demolitions are part of the state’s aggressive enforcement of the new anti-cultism law signed by Governor Okpebholo, which authorises the demolition of properties tied to cult activity and criminal enterprise.
In another action, the government sealed off Eterno Hotel, located in Benin’s GRA, over alleged links to a cult group implicated in recent killings in the area.
Reiterating his administration’s tough stance, Okpebholo warned, “No stone will be left unturned, and no individual, regardless of their status, will be spared under the provisions of the Cultism-Related Offenses Law. We are determined to restore peace and order in Edo State.”