The Oba of Benin, Oba Ewuare II, has directed traditional leaders and practitioners within the Benin Kingdom to carry out a spiritual exercise aimed at placing curses on kidnappers and other violent crimina0ls, in response to worsening insecurity in parts of Edo State.
On Tuesday, June 24, 2026, in Benin City, Edo State, southern Nigeria, the decision was made after an emergency meeting held at the Oba’s palace with native doctors, traditional priests, priestesses, and youth representatives. According to reports from the Benin Traditional Council, the monarch ordered that a full traditional ritual would take place on July 2, 2026, at the palace, where curses would be pronounced on kidnappers, armed robbers, cultists, and their collaborators.
The meeting was convened against the backdrop of increasing reports of kidnapping, armed robbery, cult-related violence, and ritual killings across Edo State, which palace sources said had reached a level requiring both spiritual and security intervention.
According to details from the palace discussions, Oba Ewuare II told the gathering that the exercise was rooted in ancestral authority and the traditional responsibility of the Benin throne to maintain peace and moral order within the kingdom.
The monarch was quoted as saying that many “things that should not be happening are now happening,” stressing the need for coordinated action to restore public safety and deter criminal activity in the state.
He instructed traditional practitioners to mobilise fully for the planned exercise, which is expected to involve prayers, invocations, and other rites believed within Benin tradition to carry spiritual consequences for wrongdoing.
Palace officials said the initiative is intended to complement, not replace, the efforts of security agencies currently battling kidnapping networks operating across Edo State and neighbouring regions.
The decision to proceed with the ritual follows what palace sources described as repeated consultations with traditional stakeholders over how cultural institutions can contribute to addressing insecurity.
Reports indicate that the Oba also engaged native doctors and spiritual leaders in earlier meetings, where concerns were raised about the growing frequency of abductions along highways and rural communities.
Security challenges in Edo State have included kidnappings for ransom, attacks on commuters, and violent crimes linked to organised groups operating in forested and rural areas.
The Oba’s directive reflects the continued influence of traditional authority structures in local governance and community security matters in southern Nigeria.
According to statements attributed to palace representatives, the spiritual exercise will involve traditional leaders from across Edo South, who are expected to converge at the palace on the scheduled date.
While the specifics of the rites are traditionally not disclosed in detail, officials indicated that they would involve symbolic pronouncements and invocations directed at deterring criminal behaviour and restoring peace.
The announcement has drawn attention across Nigeria due to the growing intersection between cultural authority and modern security responses in areas facing persistent violent crime.
In recent years, Edo State has recorded multiple incidents of kidnapping along major highways linking Benin City to neighbouring states, prompting repeated calls for stronger policing and intelligence operations.
Authorities have continued counter-kidnapping operations in affected areas, although insecurity remains a concern for residents and travellers.
The palace stressed that the initiative is part of broader efforts to support peace-building and reinforce social order within the kingdom.
Community leaders have expressed support for the involvement of traditional institutions, noting their influence in shaping public behaviour at the grassroots level.
However, security analysts maintain that long-term solutions to kidnapping and violent crime will depend on sustained law enforcement, prosecution, and intelligence-led policing.
As preparations continue, attention is focused on the July 2 exercise and how it will be conducted at the Oba’s palace in Benin City.
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