Oba of Benin Summons Native Doctors, Priests Over Rising Kidnapping in Edo

Oba of Benin Summons Native Doctors, Priests Over Rising Kidnapping in Edo

The Oba of Benin, Omo N’Oba N’Edo Uku Akpolokpolo, Ewuare II, has summoned native doctors, traditional priests, and priestesses to an emergency meeting as part of renewed efforts to confront rising kidnapping and cult-related violence in Edo State.

The directive was contained in a statement issued on Friday by Chief Victor Nosakhare on behalf of the Secretary of the Benin Traditional Council, Frank Irabor.

According to the statement, the emergency meeting will hold at the Oba’s Palace in Benin City at 12 noon on Tuesday, June 23, 2026. The palace stressed that the gathering is being convened under the authority of Oba Ewuare II and must be given top priority by all invited stakeholders.

The Benin Traditional Council explained that the purpose of the meeting is to examine how traditional institutions, spiritual leaders, and indigenous practices can support ongoing government efforts to address insecurity in Edo State, where incidents of kidnapping, cult clashes, and other violent crimes have continued to raise concern among residents and authorities.

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The council noted that the increasing wave of insecurity has made it necessary to explore complementary approaches that combine both formal security measures and traditional systems of authority in order to strengthen peace and stability at the community level.

In a related development, the Benin Traditional Council will also hold a separate meeting with youth leaders, popularly known as Okaighele, on Wednesday, June 24, 2026, at the same venue and time.

The back-to-back engagements highlight the Oba’s growing reliance on both spiritual custodians and youth leadership structures in addressing security challenges within the Benin Kingdom and surrounding communities.

The move reflects the increasing involvement of traditional institutions in Nigeria’s broader security architecture, particularly in regions where community-based structures play a significant role in intelligence gathering, conflict resolution, and local enforcement support.

Edo State has continued to experience incidents of kidnapping, highway abductions, and violent cult clashes in recent years, prompting calls for stronger coordination between government, security agencies, and community leaders.

Stakeholders believe that combining formal policing strategies with traditional authority systems may help improve surveillance, intelligence sharing, and conflict prevention at the community level.

The Oba of Benin’s intervention is widely viewed as part of ongoing efforts to restore peace and reinforce cultural authority in addressing insecurity across the state.

Oba of Benin Summons Native Doctors, Priests Over Rising Kidnapping in Edo