Rita Enemuru, Reporting
THE Oba of Benin, Omo N’ Oba N’ Edo, Uku Akpolokpolo, Oba Ewuare II, has led a traditional spiritual intervention aimed at curbing the rising tide of insecurity across Edo State and Nigeria, invoking ancestral sanctions against perpetrators of violent crimes.
The ritual exercise, conducted through traditional worshippers including priests, priestesses and native physicians—known as Ewaise—followed a directive issued by the monarch last Wednesday, summoning custodians of Benin tradition to adopt ancient methods in addressing the worsening security challenges.
The spiritual procession commenced at the Oba’s Palace in Benin City, where participants, adorned in ceremonial regalia and bearing traditional spiritual objects, gathered at the palace entrance. There, they performed rites, poured libations and called upon ancestral spirits to bear witness and punish individuals involved in cultism, kidnapping and other criminal activities threatening peace in the state.
The ceremony also included prayers for the protection and fortification of the land against external aggression from bandits and criminal elements, as well as supplications for the well-being and progress of law-abiding citizens in Edo State and Nigeria at large.
Speaking after the event, Chief Osemwonta Iguezigbon, head of the Ewaise palace group, alongside Chief Priest of the Ayelala deity, Clement Edegbe, expressed confidence that the intervention would help curb violent crimes and expose their collaborators.
“A lot has gone wrong in Benin,” Chief Edegbe lamented. “Respect for elders is declining, and incidents of kidnapping and other crimes have increased.”
Chief Iguezigbon noted that the initiative was a direct response from the monarch to the deteriorating security situation. “What has been done today is at the instance of the Oba, considering the developments not only in Edo State but across the country,” he stated. “The Oba believes it is time to take decisive action.”
Chief Isaac Oghafua Ogiemwense Oghafua, the Oyeoba of Benin, explained that the spiritual exercise was intended to reinforce security through traditional means and safeguard the land from further threats.
Also speaking, priestess Constance Eguavon commended the monarch’s decision to deploy indigenous spiritual mechanisms in the fight against criminality, describing it as both timely and necessary.
The intervention is widely seen as a complementary measure to government efforts aimed at restoring security and stability in the region, underscoring the enduring role of traditional institutions in addressing contemporary challenges.
