On March 28, 2025, 16 Northern Nigerian travelers were brutally killed by vigilantes in Uromi, Edo State, exposing a collapsed security system.
In the two months following the Uromi incident, at least 60 people reportedly died from killings and violent attacks by herders and criminal gangs, with millions of naira in property destroyed.
A violent attack on seven farming communities in Ovia South-West LGA claimed about 24 lives in the last month.
At least 10 persons were killed in various communities across Edo Central in recent months, including Uromi, Ubiajia, and Igueben.
Police officers shot dead an 18-year-old boy in Ekpoma, Esan West LGA, raising concerns about police conduct.
Illegal vigilante groups were involved in violent acts, leading to their suspension by the government, along with the suspension of the Edo State Security Corps Commander.
On May 20, 2025, Edo Police arrested officers over alleged malicious vandalism in Benin, indicating internal security challenges within the police force.
On April 16, 2025, 10 students were abducted along the Edo-Ondo border but were later rescued by police and security operatives.
A young mother of two, Uyi Ebohon, was kidnapped from her home in Ekpoma in early 2025 and remains missing.
Three young men were brutally killed by suspected herders in their communities within a single week.
Businesses are forced to close before 7 p.m. due to fear of criminal activity, leading to a drop in internally generated revenue (IGR) from about N7 billion in October 2024 to N3.5 billion in February 2025.
Edo State’s GDP dropped from $25 billion in October 2024 to about $17.6 billion by June 2025.
The taxpayer count declined from 373,000 in July 2024 to less than 320,000 by early 2025, reflecting business closures and economic hardship.
Four residents suffered gun and machete wounds in a violent incident, and multiple kidnappings sparked national outrage.
Despite allocating N849 million for security in the 2025 budget, Edo State continues to experience a surge in violent crimes, especially kidnappings and killings.
The dismantling of the previous robust security architecture from the Obaseki administration has been linked to increased insecurity, with the new government accused of replacing trained security operatives with untrained political actors.
Will the security and economic situation in Edo state improve soon?
