NEWS
Okpebholo Resorts to Manhunt to Tackle Cultism, Kidnapping
The Special Security Squad, Operation Flush Out Kidnappers and Cultists, set up by Governor Monday Okpebholo to keep Edo State safe, has arrested over 20 persons in its first operation in Benin City, the State Capital.
Places raided on Tuesday, July 15, 2025, include Isiohor, Iguosa, Oluku, Ibiwe/Lagos Street, and other notorious hideous for criminals.
It was gathered that during the raid, many suspects were arrested with drugs, dangerous weapons, and other incriminating materials.
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After the operation, a member of Edo State Special Security Squad Against Cultism and Kidnapping, John Adewale Eseikhaigbe, commended the move by the governor of Edo State, Senator Monday Okpebholo for establishing the squad which he said will go a long way in reducing the criminal elements perpetuating evils in the state.
He noted that the squad will continue to clean up the State and make it safe for all.
According to him, “Thanks to the Governor of Edo State for his initiative in setting up the Squad, because he is a man committed to peace and against conflicts.
“Following the recent killing in Edo State, the Governor took it upon himself to announce to the State, nation and the World that the killing in Edo State must stop, thereby constituting the Special Squad.
“The Squad commenced operation on Tuesday and made several arrests and you can see for yourself as we combed the length and breath of the city of Benin to ensure it is safe for our people.
“We made several arrests. We found drugs, weapons and other implicating materials. This has come to stay and we will ensure that Edo State is safe for our people and investors who have come to invest in the State.
“The raid was not only about cultism as we are also looking for drug peddlers, kidnappers, as these crimes are inter-related. We are doing this to ensure that Benin City is safe for all of us. To achieve this, we have to clean the street of all social vices.”
He also noted that Governor Monday Okpebholo gave the marching order to ensure that armed robbery, kidnapping, cultism and other social vices that are bringing disrepute to the State become a thing of the past.
Another member of the Committee, Eribo Emwanta, said the raid and sealing up of a hotel at Isiohor is not witch hunting, but a move to keep the State and its citizens safe.
“The hotel that was sealed at Isiohor was not to witch hunt anybody but a move to invite the owner to explain his own part as the hotel appears to be a place for hideout for suspected drugs peddlers, cultists, and other criminals.”
Amielemen Idemudia Noah, also said the exercise witnessed has shown that the Governor is ready to keep the State clean, as he is pained over the killings which are denting the image of the State.
“We thank the Governor for giving us the opportunity to work with him to clean the State of all forms of criminality, and ensure a peaceful, united State where all will live and do business without fear.”
The Edo State Special Security Squad Against Cultism and Kidnapping, is made up of the Military, Police, Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corp (NSCDC), and other sister security agencies.
Hunters, vigilante groups, and repentant cultists, among other critical stakeholders in Edo State, are also members of the Squad.
The United Nations has raised the alarm over a dramatic surge in attacks on schools worldwide, reporting a 166% increase between 2021 and 2024.
The rise highlights the escalating dangers faced by children in conflict zones.
United Nations Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights, Nada Al-Nashif, revealed the figures during the annual meeting of the UN Human Rights Council on the rights of the child on Monday.
The session, themed “Mainstreaming the Rights of Children in Armed Conflict: Prevention and Protection,” focused on protecting children amid global conflicts.
Al-Nashif noted that the attacks were particularly concentrated in Sudan, Ukraine, the Gaza Strip, Myanmar, and Ethiopia, where children remain among the most vulnerable victims.
“In 2024, armed conflict directly affected nearly one in six children globally—about 470 million children,” she said. “Years of lost education, trauma, and lasting mental scars shape societies for generations. Long after the fighting subsides, children continue to face deadly risks.”
She highlighted Gaza as having the world’s highest number of child amputees per capita, warning that the impact of war goes far beyond immediate violence.
In Lebanon, government figures show that more than 450,000 people were displaced in less than a week, with at least 394 fatalities, including 83 children, during the 2024 conflict with Israel.
Al-Nashif also stressed the disproportionate risks for displaced children, who are more likely to die from disease linked to unsafe water and sanitation than from direct violence.
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, a 2025 cholera outbreak killed 340 children, underscoring the long-term consequences of conflict.
She called on states to uphold their international obligations to protect children, insisting that protecting children is “both a legal obligation and a humanitarian moral imperative.”
Also speaking at the council, Vanessa Frazier, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, warned that violence against children continued at extreme levels in 2025.
She urged mainstreaming child protection across peace, security, humanitarian, human rights, and development efforts, emphasizing that children should actively participate in shaping policies designed to safeguard them.
Frazier highlighted her office’s global campaign, “Prove It Matters,” aimed at amplifying children’s voices in conflict resolution and peacebuilding.
The UN report underscores the urgent need for coordinated international action to protect children and ensure their safety in conflict zones worldwide.
Portugal officially inaugurated its new president, Antonio Jose Seguro, on Monday, pledging to bring stability to a nation shaken by political uncertainty and natural disasters.
Seguro, the centre-left candidate, won last month’s presidential run-off against far-right rival Andre Ventura, following weeks of catastrophic storms that killed at least seven people and caused approximately €4 billion ($4.6 billion) in damage.
Speaking at his swearing-in ceremony in Lisbon’s parliament, Seguro emphasized cooperation with the minority right-wing government and vowed to end the country’s “electoral frenzy.”
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“I will do everything I can to put an end to this electoral frenzy,” he said, pointing to the inability of previous governments to complete their terms.
Amid global crises, including conflicts in the Middle East and a more isolationist US approach under President Donald Trump, Seguro stressed the importance of multilateralism.
“The force of law has been replaced by the power of the strongest,” he remarked.
Seguro succeeds Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, a conservative who leaves office at 77 after serving two five-year terms.
While the Portuguese presidency is largely ceremonial, Seguro’s leadership signals a commitment to political stability and international engagement.
Nigerians are facing yet another economic blow as petrol prices surge again. The Dangote Petroleum Refinery has raised the gantry price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) to N1,175 per litre, marking the third increase in just one week.
The latest adjustment, announced to marketers on Monday, follows a temporary suspension of petrol sales at the refinery on Sunday. Diesel, also known as Automotive Gas Oil, has also been revised upwards to N1,620 per litre.
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A senior refinery official, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed the hike, noting that it reflects “prevailing market fundamentals and the cost environment we are currently operating in.”
Industry checks show that depot pricing systems have already updated the new rates, signaling an inevitable rise at retail stations.
In some cities, petrol is now being sold at over N1,200 per litre, adding pressure on Nigerian motorists and businesses alike.
This repeated surge comes after earlier increases that pushed gantry prices from N774 to N995 per litre earlier this week.
Experts warn that the hikes are likely to drive up transportation, logistics, and production costs, potentially impacting the prices of goods and services nationwide.
While the Federal Government, through the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC), is working to secure crude supplies for the refinery via international traders, officials cautioned that this may not immediately reduce prices for consumers.
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