The Oba of Benin, Omo N’Oba N’Edo Uku Akpolokpolo, Ewuare II, Thursday mobilised traditional worshippers, priests, priestesses and traditional physicians (Ewaise) to invoke ancestral powers and lay curses against kidnappers, bandits and other perpetrators of violent crimes in Edo State and across Nigeria.
The spiritual exercise had followed a directive issued by the Benin monarch, calling on traditional worshippers of different groups within the kingdom to revive ancient spiritual measures aimed at complementing government efforts to tackle growing insecurity.
The event commenced with a procession from the Oba’s Palace in Benin City, as participants, adorned in traditional regalia and carrying symbolic spiritual objects, converged at the palace entrance for prayers and rituals.
During the ceremony, libations were poured and ancestral spirits invoked to bear witness against individuals and groups responsible for acts capable of disrupting the peace and stability of Edo State.
The worshippers also performed rites intended to fortify the land against invasion by bandits and other criminal elements, while offering prayers for the progress, peace and development of Edo State and Nigeria.
Speaking after the exercise, the head of the Ewaise Palace Group, Chief Osemwonta Iguezigbon, and the Chief Priest of the Ayelala deity, Chief Clement Edegbe, expressed confidence that the initiative would help curb violent crimes and expose those aiding criminal activities.
According to Edegbe, increasing incidents of kidnapping and the erosion of traditional values necessitated urgent intervention.
“A lot of things have been going wrong in Benin. People no longer respect elders as they used to, and cases of kidnapping have become rampant,” he said.
On his part, Chief Iguezigbon noted that the exercise was carried out on the instruction of the Oba of Benin in response to security concerns affecting not only Edo State but the country at large.