GOVERNOR OKPEBHOLO’S ADMINISTRATION FAILS TO STOP KIDNAPPING IN EDO STATE – HURIWA

The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has condemned the Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, for failing to stop or minimize cases of kidnapping in his state. In a statement, HURIWA’s National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Nnadozie Onwubiko, said the governor’s administration has failed to protect its citizens, as seen in the recent abduction of seminarians from the Catholic Immaculate Conception Minor Seminary School, Agenebode.

Onwubiko said the video of the abducted seminarians begging for their lives, surrounded by masked gunmen and holding human skulls, is a gruesome indictment and a sad reminder of the governor’s failure to keep citizens safe. “The governor’s responses have been inadequate, and the lack of urgency in addressing the security situation is alarming,” Onwubiko said.

The civil rights group noted that the seminarians’ plea for help to their parents and well-wishers to pay for their freedom is a heart-wrenching reminder of the governor’s inability to protect citizens. Onwubiko further highlighted the case of some siblings who were kidnapped and held for several months, only to be released after a N75 million ransom was paid to the kidnappers.

“The Catholic Diocese of Auchi’s efforts to negotiate with the kidnappers are a testament to the desperation of the situation. However, it is the governor’s responsibility to provide security, and their failure to do so is unacceptable,” Onwubiko said. He emphasized that the primary duty of government is to provide security to lives and property of citizens, but sadly, the Edo State Governor and the President of Nigeria have scandalously failed to combat the unprecedented waves of armed kidnappings by armed gangs and terrorists.

Onwubiko demanded that the governor take immediate action to prioritize citizens’ safety and security, saying, “The people of Edo State deserve better.” HURIWA expressed disappointment that the seminarians are still in captivity, showing the governor’s lack of effective leadership in security matters. “We condemn the governor’s administration for not doing enough to stop kidnapping in the state,” Onwubiko said.