The Oba of Benin, Omo N’Oba N’Edo, Uku Akpolokpolo Ewuare II, has ordered traditionalists across Edo South Senatorial District to unleash spiritual warfare on perpetrators of banditry and violent crime, invoking ancestral curses to rid the land of insecurity.
The monarch issued the directive on Tuesday during a meeting with native doctors, priests, and priestesses at his palace in Benin, stating that the instruction came from God Almighty and his royal ancestors in response to rising criminality in the region.
Oba Ewuare emphasised that the traditional institution must complement government efforts in tackling the menace. He ordered a week-long spiritual exercise, culminating at 6:00 a.m. on Thursday, July 2, at the palace, where curses would be pronounced on evildoers and their collaborators.
“The message is from the ancestors. Edo people at home and in the diaspora should hear this. The criminals know that God Almighty and our ancestors will not allow their evil to prevail in Edo,” the Oba declared. He stressed that past Obas would not permit the wishes of criminals to stand, urging them to abandon their activities.
Meanwhile, the Edo State government has announced plans to establish special courts to handle armed robbery, kidnapping, and ritual crimes, aiming to expedite judgments and punishments as a deterrent to offenders.
Speaking further, Osaigbovo Osamwonyi, the Akenuwa of Benin, reiterated the Oba’s position and urged traditionalists to intensify their rites, noting that the palace has strengthened behind-the-scenes spiritual consultations on the matter.