PDP Blames Edo Government for Killing of Northern Travelers in Uromi

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has blamed the recent killing of northern travelers in Uromi, Edo State, on the alleged inaction of Governor Monday Okpebholo’s administration.

In a statement on Monday, the party accused the government of failing to address security concerns in the state, which it claimed led to the tragic incident.

The PDP recalled that on February 5, just a month before the attack, operatives of the Edo State Security Network (ESSN) staged a public protest in Benin City.

During the protest, they passed a vote of no confidence in their commander, retired Commissioner of Police Friday Ibadin, citing rising insecurity, increased kidnappings and killings, and the alleged infiltration of the security network by unregulated vigilante groups.

The party noted that the protest came a day after Governor Okpebholo removed Ibadin and appointed Assistant Commander Balogun in his place, only to reverse the decision within 24 hours, reinstating Ibadin and triggering unrest within the ESSN.

During the protest, an ESSN operative, Imade Eweka, accused Ibadin of politicizing the network.

“Commander Ibadin is playing politics. He has been deploying his loyalists to extort money from innocent citizens, undermining the integrity of our mission.

“Meanwhile, we are unarmed, unpaid, and our members are dying during rescue operations,” Eweka said at the time.

She and other operatives further alleged that Ibadin had disarmed the corps and replaced trained officers with loyalists from unregulated vigilante groups, worsening security conditions, particularly in Edo Central, where both the governor and Ibadin hail from.

On March 29, vigilantes described by the government as “illegal” were implicated in the killing of travelers reportedly en route from Port Harcourt to the North for the Sallah holiday.

The victims were allegedly misidentified as kidnappers and murdered in cold blood.

Reacting to the incident, the Edo State chapter of the PDP issued a strongly worded statement, condemning the governor’s handling of security matters.

“The recent government classification of the perpetrators as an illegal vigilante group only further exposes the absence of a coherent security framework under the current administration and a continuation of the blame game this government has come to master,” said PDP Publicity Secretary, Chris Nehikhare.

He described the suspension of CP Friday Ibadin (Rtd) as a knee-jerk reaction influenced by Abuja, arguing that it was an admission that Edo’s security system had failed.

“The February 5 mutiny by members of the Edo Security Corps was an early warning sign of deep-rooted inefficiencies, yet Senator Monday Okpebholo chose to ignore it.

“Now, Edo people and Nigerians are paying the price of Okpebholo’s incompetence with their lives.

“It is particularly distressing that a vigilante group, operating without any oversight or proper registration, was allowed to take up arms and engage in extra-judicial killings.

“This is an indictment of the Okpebholo administration’s failure to properly regulate, train, and coordinate security efforts in the state.”

The PDP called for immediate government action to restore order and prevent further loss of innocent lives.