Reported by Ariajegbe Sylvia Esezobor
The Deputy Governor of Edo State, Rt. Hon. Dennis Idahosa, has said the security policies of Governor Monday Okpebholo’s administration have restored confidence and created a safer environment for investment and agricultural production, positioning Edo as one of the more peaceful states in the Niger Delta region.
Idahosa stated this on Monday in Benin City when a delegation from the Foundation for Partnership Initiatives in the Niger Delta, led by its Programme Director, Dr Effiong Essien, paid him a courtesy visit, according to a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Friday Aghedo, and made available to newsmen. He said the administration’s people-oriented policies, programmes and legislative reforms had contributed to the reduction of crime and strengthened the justice system, particularly in dealing with criminal elements.
The deputy governor said the administration’s commitment to the SHINE Agenda had positioned Edo as one of the more peaceful states in the Niger Delta, citing its firm stance against kidnapping, cultism and other forms of criminality. “In any nation where there is security, investors and transformation would come,” Idahosa said. “It is only when it is safe for our mothers to go to the farm that they can go to the farm and be productive. Security is number one in the SHINE Agenda. It shows the Governor’s emphasis on security and even agriculture.” He said the government’s security drive was closely linked to its efforts to achieve food sufficiency, stressing that farmers needed safe communities and farmlands to maximise agricultural production.
The SHINE Agenda, which stands for Security, Healthcare, Infrastructure, Natural Resources and Agriculture, and Education, is the Okpebholo administration’s five-pillar development framework. Security occupies the first position in the acronym, reflecting the governor’s position that no development agenda can succeed in an environment where citizens live in fear. The administration has pursued the establishment of special criminal courts and state police mechanisms, launched coordinated operations against cultism in the Benin metropolis and invested in community policing approaches designed to resist the cyclical abandonment that characterised previous security initiatives.
The tangible results of that approach are increasingly visible. In June 2026, the state government began the recruitment of 5,400 members of a local security corps across its 18 local government areas, with each council directed to employ 300 operatives. At the state level, the government recruited 500 forest guards, later increased to 1,000 following a directive from the National Security Adviser, with the first batch deployed to areas prone to insecurity, including border communities in Etsako East, Etsako West and Akoko-Edo. The Commissioner for Security and Public Safety, Festus Ebea, said the new corps members were being equipped with raincoats, boots and torchlights to operate effectively, particularly during the rainy season and at night. The government also procured 80 Hilux patrol vehicles and 400 motorcycles, and handed over 10 brand-new patrol vehicles to security agencies in Edo Central Senatorial District as part of interactive security engagements designed to identify challenges and deploy targeted solutions.
The impact on agriculture has been particularly significant. In September 2026, farmers across Edo State said improved security had enabled them to gradually return to their farms after years of abandoning them because of kidnapping activities that claimed the lives of some farmers. The President of the Integrated Farmers Association of Nigeria and Chairman of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria, Alhaji Bako Dogwo, commended the Okpebholo administration, saying, “Farmers who could not go to their farms before are now happy because they can access their farms and continue their farming activities.” He said the improved security would help increase food production and strengthen food security in the state. Prince Henry Ebole, who represented the State Federated FADAMA Farmers, also commended the administration’s SHINE agenda, noting that registered FADAMA farmers numbered about 2,000 and would be mobilised to support the government.
The security situation in Edo has been marked by a sharp reduction in violent crime and an increase in arrests and prosecutions. In June 2026 alone, the Edo State Police Command paraded 77 suspects over kidnapping, murder, cultism, armed robbery and other offences, including 32 alleged kidnappers and 15 suspected cultists, while rescuing 38 kidnapped victims across the state. The police commissioner, Monday Agbonika, attributed the successes to intelligence-driven operations, strengthened collaboration with sister security agencies and community-based stakeholders, and the support of the state government. Governor Okpebholo also requested the Chief Judge of Edo State to establish a special court dedicated to kidnapping and cultism cases, which began operations on July 1, 2026, as part of efforts to ensure speedy trials and deterrence.
During the courtesy visit, Idahosa, on behalf of the governor, appreciated PIND for choosing Edo as a base for its Human Capital Development programmes and assured the organisation of the state government’s readiness to collaborate with it. He noted that several corporate social responsibility interventions by multinational companies, particularly those impacting rural communities, were implemented through partnerships involving PIND, and described the organisation’s interventions as needs-driven, saying its projects were designed around the specific needs of communities and beneficiaries while strengthening relevant value chains.
Earlier, Essien said PIND was a non-profit initiative committed to promoting peace and equitable economic growth in the Niger Delta region by bringing governments, communities, businesses and development partners together to address shared challenges. He said the organisation’s interventions focused on reducing poverty, strengthening coastal communities, promoting youth employment, fostering stability and supporting sustainable development across the region. Essien outlined PIND’s short- and long-term development plans, training programmes and interventions already implemented in rural communities across Edo. He appealed for the state government’s collaboration in establishing safe farm corridors, strengthening agricultural value-chain actors and reactivating the Udo Skills Development Centre for practical training, entrepreneurship and youth employment. He also requested the designation of a government focal person to receive early-warning information from peace actors across the 18 local government areas to help prevent conflicts and unrest before they escalate.
The PIND delegation’s requests align closely with the administration’s stated priorities. The establishment of safe farm corridors would complement the security architecture the government has built around agricultural communities, while the reactivation of the skills development centre would support the human capital development component of the SHINE Agenda. The designation of a focal person for early-warning information would strengthen the administration’s capacity to respond to emerging threats before they escalate into violence, a function that the state’s security agencies have identified as critical to sustaining the gains recorded in recent months.
The deputy governor’s remarks come amid a broader political context in which the 2027 general elections are less than four months away. Governor Okpebholo is expected to seek a second term, and his administration’s security record is likely to feature prominently in his re-election campaign. The government has consistently framed security as the foundation of its development agenda, arguing that the confidence restored in communities and among investors is directly attributable to the reduction in kidnapping, cultism and other violent crimes. Whether that argument resonates with voters will be determined at the polls, but the evidence from farmers, investors and development partners suggests that the security environment in Edo State has improved in ways that are tangible and consequential. As Idahosa put it, security is number one in the SHINE Agenda, and it is only when it is safe for mothers to go to the farm that they can go and be productive.
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