Omirhobo Blasts Governor Okpebholo Over Monarch’s Suspension Amid Rising Insecurity in Edo

Human rights lawyer Malcolm Omirhobo has sharply criticized Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, for what he describes as a misplaced response to the escalating kidnappings and killings in Etsako East Local Government Area.

In a strongly worded statement, Omirhobo accused the governor of failing to hold accountable the key institutions and individuals responsible for the worsening insecurity in the region.

He cited the Nigerian Police, President Bola Tinubu as the Commander-in-Chief, the Department of State Services (DSS), the Civil Defence Corps, the Nigerian Army, and the Local Government Chairman as entities that should be questioned over the recurring violence.

Instead, Omirhobo said, the governor has chosen to “shamelessly” suspend Dr. George Oshiapi Egabor, the Okumagbe of Uwano Kingdom, Agenebode, who, according to him, “has no constitutional powers to stop kidnappings and killings.”

The lawyer called the indefinite suspension of the traditional ruler unjust and a distraction from the state government’s failure to address the root causes of insecurity in the area.