Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, has unveiled an amnesty initiative designed to curb cult-related violence and criminality in the state.
Under the new programme, cultists are being offered the opportunity to renounce their membership, surrender any illegal arms in their possession, and reintegrate into society through training and empowerment schemes.
The offer was made public in a statement released by the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Fred Itua, on Wednesday.
Governor Okpebholo encouraged those engaged in cult activities to embrace the initiative, noting that a technical committee would be formed to oversee the process of restitution and rehabilitation for cultists and other at-risk youths.
“I am dangling a window of restitution for cult members in the state to renounce and turn a new leaf, while those in possession of illegal arms and ammunition have been called upon to surrender them to authorities in exchange for amnesty,” the governor said.
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“A major component of the amnesty programme for such youths will include skills acquisition and empowerment to make them useful to themselves and to society in the long run,” he added.
Governor Okpebholo further pledged to collaborate with community leaders to restore peace and stability in areas with a history of cult-related violence, naming Oko-Oroma, Amagba, and Obagie as key areas of concern.
He stressed that fostering stability was critical as the government embarked on plans to develop a new city in the state.
The governor’s amnesty offer follows his earlier declaration of an all-out war on cultism, which included personally supervising the demolition of properties linked to cult activities. The state’s police command has also ramped up efforts to arrest suspected cult members.
Governor Okpebholo expressed alarm at the economic toll of cult violence on Edo State, revealing that it costs an estimated $1 billion in lost investments each year—a figure he described as both “alarming and unsustainable.”
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