The Coalition of Registered Political Parties (CRPP), has blamed what he described as Governor Monday Okpebholo’s lack of proactive leadership for the worsening insecurity in Ekpoma and other parts of Edo state.
National Chairman of the coalition, Dr. Samson Isibor, made the assertion in a communiqué issued after the coalition’s first meeting of the year held in January 2026, where members reviewed recent political, economic and social developments in the State.
The CRPP emphasised, “the failure of the State government to respond decisively to early warnings about the activities of bandits and suspected kidnappers had emboldened criminal elements to operate freely across bushes, farmlands, highways and now within towns and villages.”
He said the situation had reached an alarming level, with residents being kidnapped from their homes, describing the development as “horrendous” for a State with an elected governor.
Isibor also condemned the handling of the recent protest in Ekpoma and its environs, and accused the government of responding with repression rather than addressing the root causes of the demonstration, which he said was driven by persistent insecurity.
The CRPP chairman called for the immediate release of students remanded at the Nigeria Correctional Service following the protest, while condemning the alleged arrest of students from their private hostels by security operatives.
The coalition also condemned the hijacking of the peaceful protest by hoodlums, which reportedly led to violence and the destruction of property, including parts of the palace of the Enogie of Ekpoma.
Dr. Isibor lamented the failure of the State government to establish the Amotekun Security Network, as obtained in the South-West.
He alleged that the Edo Security Network was poorly funded, unpaid and inadequately equipped.
The CRPP urged the governandt to place local security operatives on a special payroll, recommending monthly salaries of between ₦100,000 and ₦200,000, as well as insurance coverage to boost morale and effectiveness.
Isibor said: “Edo residents were more concerned about their safety than government claims of logistics acquisition, stressing that the primary responsibility of government was to guarantee the security and welfare of the people.”
