In a bold move to tackle the escalating violence from cult-related clashes in the state, Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, has given a 48-hour ultimatum to the State Commissioner of Police, Umoru Ozigi, to take immediate action in curbing the bloodshed.

The governor’s directive comes in response to rising concerns over cult-related violence in the state, which has resulted in multiple fatalities.

READ MORE: NNPC Ltd Announces 1.8mbpd Production, Eyes 2mbpd By Year End

In a statement released by the Governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Fred Itua, Okpebholo ordered the Commissioner of Police to ensure swift intervention by deploying officers across all police formations to end the violent clashes.

Governor Okpebholo also announced the ban of two groups, the Drivers Welfare Association and Network Empowerment, which have been implicated in fuelling unrest, particularly in Benin City.

He emphasized that these associations will no longer be allowed to operate within the state, urging the police to enforce this ban rigorously.

“This is a critical matter for us. Cultism cannot be allowed to thrive in Edo State. We will put an end to it swiftly,” said the governor.

He stressed that security forces must act decisively to stop the killings and violence that have plagued the state in recent weeks.

The governor also referenced a recent decision to suspend the collection of all revenues in Edo State, particularly in motor parks, as part of his broader strategy to address lawlessness.

He indicated that this suspension would remain in place until a comprehensive review of revenue collection procedures is conducted.

“Edo State must be safe. This has always been one of my top priorities, and I will do everything in my power to restore peace and order. We will not sit idly by while these criminals wreak havoc on our communities,” Okpebholo added.

The governor’s firm stance on security and order signals his commitment to restoring peace and stability in Edo State, with a focus on quickly addressing the root causes of cult violence.

The Coalition of Southern Groups (CSG) has called on President Bola Tinubu to declare a state of emergency on all federal roads in Nigeria’s southern regions, citing widespread deterioration that has made road-travel arduous and dangerous.

At the coalition’s first media event held on Thursday in Abuja, CSG leaders highlighted the worsening condition of federal roads across the South-South, South-East, and South-West regions, urging the government to take immediate action. Chairman of the coalition, Prof.

Vitalis Orikeze Ajumbe, and coalition Secretary Comrade Bello Osaretin stressed that a lack of repairs had left key infrastructure nearly impassable, especially for those commuting to and from the nation’s capital, Abuja.

READ MORE: Zamfara Gov Tackles Ghost Workers’ Crisis In Civil Service

“The Coalition of Southern Groups calls on the federal government to, as a matter of urgent national importance and concern, declare a state of emergency on all the federal roads in the southern part of Nigeria,” Ajumbe said.

“The sordid state of the roads is yearning for attention and long overdue for total repairs and overhaul.”

The coalition argued that the southern region, which plays a crucial role in Nigeria’s economy as the center of the oil industry, has seen its infrastructure neglected for decades.

Ajumbe pointed to the southern states’ contributions through “liquid gold” oil revenues, which support the national economy, as a reason for immediate government attention.

To drive accountability, CSG proposed legislation requiring all public officials to use these roads for local travel, a measure they believe would spur greater responsiveness among leaders.

“If public officials experience these roads as ordinary citizens do, they will be more motivated to address the neglect,” Ajumbe suggested.

The coalition also called for enhanced powers for Federal Controllers of Works in each state, arguing that increased authority and resources would enable these officials to fulfill their roles in maintaining and improving infrastructure more effectively.

Looking ahead, CSG expressed a commitment to working with the Presidency and Northern leaders to promote national development and to seek collaborative solutions for pressing infrastructure challenges.

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) and its partners have revved up crude oil and gas production to 1.8 million barrels per day (mbpd) and 7.4standard cubic feet per day (scfd).

This was revealed at a press briefing on Thursday in Abuja, where the NNPC Ltd attributed the feat to compliance with the mandate of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

On the development, the Group Chief Executive Officer, Mele Kyari, congratulated the Production War Room Team that anchored the production recovery process.

ALSO READ: NNPC Ltd To Supply 100mmscf/d Gas To Dangote Refinery

According to Kyari, “The team has done a great job in driving this project of not just production recovery but also escalating production to expected levels that are in the short and long terms acceptable to our shareholders based on the mandates that we have from the President, the Honourable Minister, and the Board.”

Giving details of the efforts of the Production War Room, the Chief War Room Coordinator and Senior Business Adviser to the Group Chief Executive Officer, Lawal Musa, disclosed that the feat was achieved through the collaborative efforts of Joint Venture and Production Sharing Contract partners, the Office of the National Security Adviser, as well as government and private security agencies.

He said the interventions that led to the recovery of production cut across every segment of the production chain with security agencies closely monitoring the pipelines.

He stressed that when the Production War Room team was inaugurated on the 25th June 2024, production was at 1.430mbpd, but the team swung into action, culminating into it sustaining the production recovery to 1.7mbpd in August and hitting the current 1.808mbpd in November.

“We are confident that with this same momentum and with the active collaboration of all stakeholders, especially on the security front, we can see the possibility of getting to 2mbpd by the end of the year,” he stated.

On the development, Chairman of the NNPC Ltd Board of Directors, Chief Pius Akinyelure, also congratulated the team, and said he was happy to be part of the production recovery process, adding: “today, I will leave this place with my heart full of joy”.

He charged the Company’s Management to come up with a cashflow projection based on the new production figures to facilitate planning, stressing that he was looking forward to further production increase to 3mbpd.

On his part, the Honourable Minister of State for Petroleum (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, expressed satisfaction with the performance of the team and pledged the Federal Government’s support for the company to do more.