When Governor Monday Okpebholo assumed office in November 2024, he inherited a state burdened by insecurity and infrastructural decline. Kidnappings, cult clashes, armed robbery, and communal unrest had eroded public confidence.
Farmlands were abandoned. Highways turned into danger zones. Economic activities slowed under the weight of fear.
Today, that narrative is steadily changing. Security, one of the five cardinal pillars of the administration’s SHINE Agenda, has become the fulcrum upon which Edo’s developmental strides now rest.
For Governor Okpebholo, peace is not merely a campaign promise; it is the foundation for sustainable growth.
Rebuilding the Security Architecture
The governor’s first priority was a comprehensive overhaul of Edo’s security framework through collaboration, legislation, and technology-driven reforms.
Recognising that modern threats demand coordinated responses, the administration strengthened inter-agency synergy among federal and state security bodies.
Central to this effort is Operation Flush Out Kidnappers and Cultists, launched in July 2025.
This multi-agency task force—comprising the Nigerian Police, Nigerian Army, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, local hunters, and vigilante groups, operates across all 18 local government areas. Its mandate is clear: dismantle criminal networks, particularly those entrenched in forests and rural enclaves.
Complementing this initiative is Operation Rescue, established at the inception of the administration. Designed for rapid response and intelligence-led interventions, it has earned commendation from members of the National Assembly for its coordination and measurable impact in curbing violent crime.
The Public Safety Response Team further reinforces surveillance in urban centres, ensuring faster reaction times and a visible enforcement presence.
Collectively, these operations have led to the arrest of high-profile suspects, successful rescue missions, and a noticeable decline in cult-related violence.
Professionalising the Edo State Security Corps
A major turning point has been the restructuring of the Edo State Security Corps. Previously used by the previous administration as a violent political wing against opposition leaders, constrained by limited training, and weak coordination, the corps has undergone comprehensive reform and restructuring devoid of selfish political agenda.
In June 2025, over 1,470 personnel received intensive training facilitated by the Nigerian Army. The programme enhanced tactical capacity, discipline, and intelligence-gathering skills.
For the first time in the state’s history, plan to place members on structured monthly salaries is in progress, and deliberate action to enroll members in a health insurance scheme, and a morale-boosting initiative that will repositioned the corps as a dependable partner to formal security agencies is in process.
Today, the revitalised corps plays a critical role in community policing, serving as a bridge between citizens and law enforcement authorities.
Investing in Mobility and Smart Policing
Understanding that effective security requires both manpower and modern tools, the administration has made significant investments in logistics and mobility. In March 2025, new patrol vehicles were distributed to security agencies to enhance highway surveillance and urban patrols. Six months later, 300 motorbikes were deployed to operatives and vigilantes, improving access to difficult terrains such as forests and riverine communities where criminals often seek refuge.
Surveillance infrastructure is also expanding. The state is developing a Smart Command and Control Centre to serve as a hub for incident monitoring and intelligence coordination, signalling Edo’s transition toward smart policing.
The continuous Illegal Arms Mop-Up Exercise has further curtailed the instruments of violence, with thousands of weapons surrendered or recovered through intelligence-led operations.
Strengthening Legal Deterrence
Governor Okpebholo’s approach blends operational action with firm legal deterrence.
Under his leadership, the Edo State House of Assembly amended the Kidnapping Prohibition Law, prescribing capital punishment for convicted kidnappers.
The governor’s public declaration of readiness to sign death warrants underscores his administration’s zero-tolerance stance on violent crime.
Additionally, the demolition and confiscation of properties linked to criminal activity have targeted the financial backbone of organised crime. By ensuring that crime does not yield economic benefit, the administration has introduced a powerful deterrent.
Plans are also underway to regulate scavengers and scrap dealers, sectors previously associated with vandalism and theft of public infrastructure. The proposed framework will formalise operations and strengthen monitoring mechanisms.
The administration lifting of ban on the Edo State Vigilante Network, integrating it into the broader security architecture leading to training and equipping of these local operatives serve as frontline defenders in rural communities, thereby reducing farm invasions, kidnappings and other forms of criminality.
Outstanding members are being considered for absorption into the civil service, ensuring continuity and professionalism in grassroots policing. Collaboration with federal security agencies has deepened, extending to the protection of strategic national assets, including petroleum pipelines.
Infrastructure as Economic Catalyst
Beyond security, Governor Okpebholo has prioritised infrastructure as a catalyst for economic revival.
The rehabilitation of failed sections of the Auchi–Igarra–Aiyetoro–Unemu–Nekhua–Aiyegunle–Ikpeshi–Ibillo–Ekor–Ikiran–Oke corridor—spanning 9.61 kilometres, represents a strategic intervention aimed at reconnecting communities and stimulating commerce in Edo North Senatorial District.
At the flag-off ceremony, the governor reiterated his commitment to durable road construction that unlocks agrarian belts and improves market access.
He aligned these efforts with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, emphasising synergy between state and federal development priorities.
Unarguably, the Okpebholo’s administration most visible infrastructural milestone is the ongoing construction of a Multi-Billion-Naira Flyover in Edo South Senatorial District, the first of its kind in Edo State.
Upon completion, it is expected to ease traffic congestion, enhance mobility, and transform the state’s urban landscape.
Education, healthcare, and rural road expansion have also received Governor Okpebholo’s unrelenting efforts and increased budgetary allocations, reflecting a holistic and forward-looking development strategy.
A State Regaining Confidence
Across Edo, stakeholders attest to a renewed sense of safety and economic optimism. Farmers are returning to their fields. Traders operate with fewer disruptions. Travellers move with greater confidence.
While few challenges remain, Edo’s evolving security model is increasingly regarded as a template for coordinated, intelligence-driven governance.
Governor Okpebholo’s vision is clear: Edo must not only work, it must work in a way that earns admiration across the region and beyond.
By combining decisive enforcement with community engagement, legal reform with welfare incentives, and infrastructure development with innovation, the administration has shifted Edo from reactive crisis management to proactive stability-building.
As the governor often affirms, when people feel safe, society grows again. In today’s Edo, that growth is becoming visible, in safer streets, stronger institutions, and renewed public confidence.
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Godswill Inegbe is the Special Adviser to the Governor on Communication, Strategy and Media Projects.
