12th May, 2015
Jethro Ibileke/Benin
A former governorship candidate of the ANPP in Edo state, Solomon Iyobosa Edebiri, has decried the recent upsurge in cult-related killings in the state, saying the development was alien to the state.
Edebiri, a philanthropist and president, Solomon Iyobosa Edebiri Centre for Change, who condemned the ongoing cult war in Benin at a press statement, urged security agencies, “to as a matter of urgency, rise to the occasion, to win back the peoples’ confidence by discharging their duties fearlessly.”
“I totally condemn this wanton destruction of lives of our young brothers in the hands of their fellow brothers. This situation where our youths waste their lives in their prime in the name of cultism is barbaric and alien to our customs and traditions as Edo people.
“This development is sad and if not urgently nipped in the bud, will jeopardize the state’s desired promotion of tourism and economic growth.
“I therefore plead with our youths who are still flexing muscles over mundane things to sheath their sword and desist forthwith from these shameful acts and engage in meaningful ventures that will better their tomorrow,” he said.
Edebiri also called on community leaders in the state to intensify their efforts at community policing surveillance as a way to assisting security agencies in the performance of their statutory responsibility of safeguarding lives and property.