More than 24 hours after gunmen ambushed and killed eight operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Edo State, the government has yet to issue a word of condolence or a plan of action. The silence has left citizens shocked, grieving families abandoned, and civil society groups fuming.
The deadly attack, which happened on Friday along the Sobe–Afuze–Auchi road in Owan West LGA, also saw passengers of a state-owned Edo Line bus abducted. Survivors are battling for their lives in undisclosed hospitals, but the governor, his media team, and the information commissioner have all remained quiet—a response many now describe as irresponsible silence.
This is not the first time Edo authorities have been accused of looking away during tragedy. In February, suspected Ijaw militias massacred 27 cocoa farmers in Ovia South-West. It took nearly two weeks before Governor Monday Okpebholo visited the community to commiserate. That delay is now being remembered bitterly.
Civil society organisations say enough is enough. The Edo Civil Society Organisations (EDOCSO) has given the government 48 hours to act or face protests. In a strongly worded statement, the group demanded CCTV revival, procurement of high-tech security gadgets, and the creation of a special squad to track kidnappers. They warned the governor to “bother less about 2027 elections and focus on the security of Edo people with the monthly security votes.”
Another coalition, the Edo State Civil Society Coalition for Human Rights, called on the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency in Edo. They described the state as a “tragic theatre of insecurity” where kidnappers now run unchecked from Ovia to Auchi, Esan to Ekpoma. The group asked why seminarians, doctors, farmers, and even community leaders remain in captivity while the state government maintains silence.
The anger is also political. Critics say the governor has focused more on 2027 electoral promises than his immediate duty as Chief Security Officer. “Edo people are not demanding miracles; they are demanding competence,” one statement read. “Anything less is a betrayal of trust.”
From Benin City to rural communities, the cry is the same: Who is truly in charge of security in Edo State? Until the governor and security chiefs unveil a clear, transparent strategy, civil groups say fear will deepen and kidnappers will continue to turn Edo into their safe haven.
