Echotitbits – Nigeria News

Tag: Edo State

  • Tension in Edo State as Gunmen Kidnap Police Officer and Four Others

    Tension in Edo State as Gunmen Kidnap Police Officer and Four Others

    According to Daily Post reporting from Benin City, a wave of panic has gripped Akoko-Edo Local Government Area following the brazen abduction of five individuals, including a Police Inspector. The victims were taken in separate incidents, with two individuals snatched from the Makeke Primary Health Centre. The Police Inspector, Segun Obanowa, was reportedly kidnapped from his residence alongside his daughter, while his wife was released to source a N100 million ransom.

    The surge in kidnappings has turned the local government area into a high-risk zone, prompting traditional rulers and council authorities to impose a strict curfew from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. Community leaders have expressed frustration over the deteriorating security situation, noting that abductions have become a “daily routine.” The Movement for the Advancement of Akoko Edo People has issued a statement calling for urgent state and federal intervention to secure the release of the victims.

    Local residents are currently living in fear, with many staying indoors even before the curfew begins. The Edo State Police Command has reportedly deployed a tactical team to the area to track the kidnappers into the surrounding forests. However, no arrests have been made as of Thursday morning, and the kidnappers have maintained communication with the families to demand hefty ransoms.

    Further validation comes from Vanguard, which reported, “The Akoko-Edo axis has become a flashpoint for criminal elements fleeing operations in neighboring states.” Channels TV also provided coverage, featuring a local witness who stated, “We are helpless; even those meant to protect us are being taken away.”

    Echotitbits take: The kidnapping of a police officer in his own home signals a dangerous level of audacity among criminal gangs in Edo State. The curfew might offer temporary relief, but without a coordinated “forest-clearing” operation, these gangs will continue to use the rugged terrain as a safe haven.

    Source: Daily Post -https://dailypost.ng/2026/02/12/tension-in-edo-as-gunmen-kidnap-police-officer-four-others/, February 12, 2026

    Photo credit: Daily Post

  • Police free six vigilantes after Army arrest on Edo road amid banditry fears

    Police free six vigilantes after Army arrest on Edo road amid banditry fears

    In a report by Punch, police in Kwara said they received and released six vigilante members earlier arrested by the Army, amid tensions over community security efforts around the Auchi–Ikpeshi road axis.

    The case highlights a recurring friction point: informal security groups often fill protection gaps, but can be viewed by formal forces as unauthorized or prone to abuse—triggering clampdowns and community backlash.

    Punch’s account suggests the police framed the release as procedural, but the underlying pressure remains as communities seek quick protection amid insecurity.

    Expect the debate to expand: who supervises vigilantes, what rules govern their operations, and how communities support security without creating parallel armed structures.

    Daily Post also reported police “freed six vigilantes arrested by Army,” while Radio Nigeria similarly carried the update that police “free six vigilante members arrested by Army.”

    Echotitbits take: Vigilante frameworks need clarity—registration, training, reporting lines, and accountability. Otherwise, every incident becomes a turf war and criminals exploit the confusion. Watch for states formalising community policing units with enforceable oversight.

    Source: Punch – https://punchng.com/banditry-police-free-six-vigilantes-arrested-by-army/ January 7, 2026
    Punch January 7, 2026

    Photo Credit: Punch Newspapers

  • Edo migration agency says 30 trafficking cases are in court or under investigation

    Edo migration agency says 30 trafficking cases are in court or under investigation

    2026-01-01 06:30:00
    According to Punch, the Edo State Migration Agency said over 30 human-trafficking cases are at different stages of trial or investigation.

    Reporting by the outlet indicates the agency is tightening collaboration with security services while supporting victims and pushing prevention messaging in high-risk communities.

    The update reflects Edo’s long-running battle with irregular migration pipelines and trafficking syndicates.

    Leadership also carried related reporting on Edo’s anti-trafficking messaging and enforcement posture, including remarks on drivers of trafficking.

    The Sun likewise reported the same core claim that more than 30 cases were under investigation or trial in Edo.

    Echotitbits take:

    Convictions and asset forfeiture matter more than raw case counts. Watch for outcomes: sentencing, witness protection, survivor reintegration funding, and community-level livelihood programs that reduce recruitment pressure.

    Source: The Punch  — January 1, 2026 (https://punchng.com/agency-prosecutes-30-human-trafficking-cases-in-edo/)

    The Punch  2026-01-01

    Photo Credit: The Punch

  • Auchi tanker blast injures residents as fire spreads through spilled fuel

    Auchi tanker blast injures residents as fire spreads through spilled fuel

    Photo Credit: Vanguard / File
    2025-12-18 10:00:00

    Vanguard reports that a fuel tanker crash in Auchi, Edo State triggered a dangerous fire that left multiple people injured and caused damage around the impact area.

    The account points to a spill scenario where fuel fed the flames, forcing responders to focus on evacuation, containment and treatment of casualties.

    Verification: The Guardian (Nigeria) and The Whistler (citing NEMA) also reported the incident and the scale of injuries.

    Quotes: The Guardian: “no fewer than 25 persons sustained varying degrees of injuries…” The Whistler: “the incident occurred… when a tanker reportedly lost control…”

    Analysis/Echotitbits take: This is a recurring national safety failure: weak haulage standards, poor road design and weak route control. Watch for enforcement on tanker safety, speed limits, and safer transport corridors—beyond condolence statements.

    Source: Vanguard — 2025-12-18 — https://www.vanguardngr.com/2025/12/scores-injured-as-tanker-explosion-rocks-auchi/

    Vanguard 2025-12-18

  • Dayo Amusa elected into Actors Guild national leadership as vice president

    Dayo Amusa elected into Actors Guild national leadership as vice president

    Photo Credit: Dayo Amusa – The Nation Newspaper
    2025-12-14

    According to Vanguard, Nollywood actress Dayo Amusa has been elected as a National Vice President within the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN) following the guild’s national election in Benin City.

    The report said the election produced a new national leadership team, with Amusa emerging as a key officer representing her zone in the guild structure.

    Daily Post also reported her emergence and described her as National Vice President Southwest.

    The Nation reported the same development and quoted her describing her emergence as a testament to her dedication to the guild’s growth and integrity.

    Analysis/Echotitbits take: Guild leadership influences welfare advocacy, dispute mediation and professional standards in Nollywood. Watch for Amusa’s agenda—especially transparency in guild processes, stronger member protections, and partnerships that improve earnings and working conditions across the creative economy.

    Source: Vanguard — 14 Dec 2025 (https://www.vanguardngr.com/2025/12/dayo-amusa-emerges-national-vice-president-of-actors-guild-of-nigeria/)

  • Edo Govt Disputes Obaseki’s Claim on Radisson Hotel Debt

    Edo Commissioner Kassim Afegbua says the state owes about ₦25bn on the Radisson Hotel project, contradicting former Governor Godwin Obaseki’s claim that only ₦2bn was invested. The project is under legislative investigation alongside the Museum of West African Arts.

    PUNCH

    11 Dec 2025

  • Youths Under 40 Years will Govern Edo State Along with Obaseki

    Youths Under 40 Years will Govern Edo State Along with Obaseki

    As Governor Godwin Obaseki begins his second term in office, the Edo State Government has assured that it will create positions for youths in the cabinet that will be constituted soon.

    This was disclosed in a statement at the weekend by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Communication Strategy, Crusoe Osagie.

    Osagie said the participation of Edo youths in the affairs of the state was important to Governor Obaseki, who has assured that young people below 40 years would be given positions in the new cabinet.

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    He said as part of the 2020 Alaghodaro Summit, a youth summit would be organised to evaluate how the policies, programmes, and initiatives of the Obaseki-led administration in the first four years in office have benefited youths in the state.

    “The governor acknowledges the role of youths in the actualisation of his second term bid. Youths make up over half of the state’s population. So, it is only right that they determine what works best for them in government.”

    “The 2020 Youth Summit will enable the state government to assess the impact of the administration’s policies and programmes on job creation, youth empowerment, basic and technical education and youths participation in governance, among others,” Osagie stated.

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    Governor Obaseki and his deputy, Philip Shaibu, will be sworn into office for another term of four years on Thursday, November 12, 2020

  • Invasion of Edo Assembly: Obaseki Speaks; HURIWA Describes Action as Attempted Coup

    Invasion of Edo Assembly: Obaseki Speaks; HURIWA Describes Action as Attempted Coup

    Edo State Governor and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate, Godwin Obaseki, has condemned the Thursday invasion of the state House of Assembly Complex by men of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad of the Nigeria Police.

    This was coming as the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has also strongly flayed the invasion, saying the attempt by the police “to take over Edo State House of Assembly is unconstitutional and illegal.”

    Obaseki, while speaking through his Special Adviser on Media and Communication Strategy, Crusoe Osagie, alleged that the invasion was part of the move by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to distract the PDP governorship candidate.

    READ ALSO:

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    “APC is panic-stricken by the huge crowd of supporters in the campaign train of Governor Godwin Obaseki, candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the forthcoming election, and resorted to the devilish plot to illegally hijack the legislature, inaugurate a parallel Assembly and possibly impeach the governor.

    “To the glory of God, their plan failed. What APC has failed to understand is that in the hearts of millions of Edo people, Obaseki has become a movement, beyond a candidate that is seeking reelection.

    “Edo people will resist anything short of a free, fair and credible election, come September 19.

    “Only this morning, my attention was drawn to a post trending on social media in which a man, who just passed on, donated his house for Governor Obaseki’s reelection campaigns.

    “The children of the late man said that their father left a will that the reelection campaign of the governor should be done in his house. I was moved by the gesture and this is another proof of the degree of affection Edo people have for Obaseki.

    “Besides, leaders of APC already know that they stand no chance in the election and are working day and night to subvert the will of the people, and this morning’s stunt was one of such.

    “We expect more shenanigans from APC, no matter how absurd, in the coming days, as we move closer to the September 19 date, when Edo people will reaffirm their confidence in Obaseki with their massive votes,” Osagie said.

    In its reaction, HURIWA challenged the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, to look into the matter in the spirit of the Nigerian constitution.

    “The Nigeria constitution has articulated and stipulated what is called separation of powers as enshrined in sections 4, 5, and 6 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria of 1999 as amended.

    “The Inspector General of Police should read those sections of the constitution to know that he has no powers to interfere in the affairs of the state legislature unless he is legally and duly invited by the properly constituted authority of the state legislature. If he was not invited by the speaker of Edo State House of Assembly and if the speculation is true that the police is there to destabilise Edo State House of Assembly then the action must stop immediately and all those police operatives that carried out the illegal operation must be arrested and prosecuted alongside the person, who authorised such an unmitigated illegality of monumental proportions which also is an attempted coup d’tat.

    “If the IGP was the one that gave the illegal order then he should be arrested and prosecuted because he is not above the law. If, on the other hand, the presence of the police in Edo State House of Assembly is on the invitation from the Speaker it is ok, provided the police is properly invited by the properly constituted authority of Edo State House of Assembly. It must be the speaker of the House of Assembly.

    “If it is the former Chairman of APC, Adams Oshiomhole, that invited the police, then it is illegal and he too should be arrested for attempted overthrow of a part of government, because it is a coup and treason for anybody to try to change any government through illegalities as adumbrated unambiguously by the Supreme law of Nigeria.

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    “Indeed, he, Adams Oshiomhole, the IGP and even Mr. President lacks the constitutional powers to remove the properly constituted hierarchy of the legislative chambers whether at the national or sub-national levels.

    “Section 1 of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria says clearly thus: ‘This Constitution is supreme and its provisions shall have binding force on the authorities and persons throughout the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The Federal Republic of Nigeria shall not be governed, nor shall any persons or group of persons take control of the government of Nigeria or any part thereof, except in accordance with the provisions of this Constitution.’

    “We hereby without reservations, absolutely condemn as despicable, reprehensible and odious any attempt to destabilise Edo State House of Assembly and all those involved if confirmed, must be rounded up and prosecuted for treasonable felony.

    “We warn all political actors in Edo State to play the game by the rules and allow peace to be sustained in Edo State and Nigeria as a whole. Let the good people of Edo State not sit by and allow their dear state to be destroyed by self-seeking dictators. Your land is your life. Protect it,” said HURIWA, in a statement jointly signed by its National Coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko and Director of National Media Affairs, Zainab Yusuf.

    Idowu Sowunmi

  • You’re a Legendary Political Swindler : PDP to Oshiomhole on Kneeling Stunt

    You’re a Legendary Political Swindler : PDP to Oshiomhole on Kneeling Stunt

    Edo State Peoples Democratic Party Governorship Campaign Council has told a former National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole, to stop deceiving himself as the elders and leaders in the state could not be swayed by his pretenses and deceptive genuflections.

    The council, which is part of Governor Godwin Obaseki’s re-election bid, allegedly described “Oshiomhole as a self-confessed liar and political swindler, who can no longer enjoy the trust and confidence of the people, including members of his party, APC, who not only suspended him but kicked him out as a national chairman on account of his penchant for deception.”

    READ ALSO…Edo Guber: Oshiomhole, Ize-Iyamu go down on their knees for support

    “It is sad that Oshiomhole thinks that he can use his antics, orchestrations and stage-managed kneeling to suddenly grip the elders and leaders of Edo State in his voodoo of deception, to accept the same individual he exposed as a fake pastor and treasury looter, who is only fit for ‘night meetings’ and should not be trusted with the position of the governor of Edo State.

    “Oshiomhole ought to have also brought the already discredited APC candidate, Ize-Iyamu, along with him to kneel and plead for forgiveness over his alleged atrocities.

    “Furthermore, the sacked APC national chairman ought to have also used the occasion to offer explanation to the elders of Edo State how he allegedly siphoned billions of naira Edo State funds, for which he is being dragged to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

    “It is unfortunate that Oshiomhole has turned himself into a wretched clown of a derelict circus, particularly as the people of Edo State can see through his selfish shenanigans and are not ready to dance to his deceptive tune.

    Read ALSO…. Full list: Oyegun, Oshiomhole among 49-man APC campaign council ‘arsenal’ for Edo

    “By trying to go back to his vomit, the former APC national chairman has confirmed that his intention is only to deceive. The people of Edo State know that Oshiomhole’s pain is that Governor Godwin Obaseki, upon assumption of office, refused to allow him to have unfettered access to the resources of Edo State which Governor Obaseki has continued to apply towards the development of the state.

    “The Edo people are already aware that Oshiomhole is desperate to foist Ize-Iyamu, who, giving his antecedents as exposed by Oshiomhole, will be ready to grant him unrestricted access to continue looting the state’s treasury.

    “We counsel Oshiomhole to stop deceiving himself and perish the dream of pillaging the treasury as the people of Edo State will never trade the focused, accountable, transparent and development-driven government under Governor Godwin Obaseki for deception, corruption, incompetence and disregard for value, which Oshiomhole, Ize-Iyamu and the APC have come to represent,” the council alleged, in a statement by Chris Osa Nehikhare.

    Idowu Sowunmi

  • PDP Primary: Court stands down suit seeking to stop Obaseki

    PDP Primary: Court stands down suit seeking to stop Obaseki

    As the political standoff within the peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo State unfolds, there is indication that embattled Governor Godwin Obaseki may finally participate without hindrance, in the party’s governorship primary election scheduled for tomorrow, Thursday.

    This comes after the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt granted the request by one of the governorship aspirants, Omoregie Ogbeide-Ihama, to have the matter stood down to enable an out of court settlement.

    Ogbeide-ihama had filed a suit seeking the court to bar any member of the party that has purchased forms but not screened within the time stipulated to contest the PDP primary.

    Ogbeide-ihama’s suit was granted accelerated hearing by the court yesterday. However, before the hearing on the application today, Wednesday, Ogbeide-Ihama’s counsel requested that the court stood down the case for some time.

    The presiding judge, Justice Emmanuel Obile, granted the prayers after the counsel to all the defendants aligned with the request.

    Governor Obaseki, having defected from the All Progressives Congress (APC) got a waiver of the PDP to join the race under its party.

    Meanwhile, a High Court of Justice in the Ekpoma judicial division on Tuesday restrained the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from excluding Governor Godwin Obaseki and the other cleared aspirants from participating in the Edo State governorship primary.

    The court ordered that the PDP and the electoral umpire should not exempt any of the aspirants who have been cleared by the party from participating in the gubernatorial primary slated for the 25th June 2020.