Edo governor seeks arrest of Neo Black Movement President Ese Kakor

• Group accuses state govt of targeting political opponents
• Deputy gov denies cultism allegation

Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo has called on the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, and the Director General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Oluwatosin Ajayi, to initiate the immediate arrest and prosecution of the President of the Neo Black Movement (NBM) of Africa, Olorogun Ese Kakor, over the alleged forgery of official state government documents.

Chief Press Secretary to the Edo State Governor, Fred Itua, disclosed this in a signed statement yesterday. In the petition, the governor accused Kakor of forging government documents, which falsely claimed to authorise him to assist schools in Edo South Senatorial District. He said the act was fraudulent and a direct assault on the integrity of the state’s administrative processes.

The governor described the act as criminal and deceitful and said the alleged forgery was carried out in connivance with certain low-level civil servants within the state bureaucracy.

He noted that those civil servants implicated in the forgery have already been identified and taken into custody, and that a police investigation is underway to determine their level of culpability.

Okpebholo vowed that all those found culpable would be prosecuted under the law. He further insisted that the land title on which the NBM headquarter was erected in Edo State has been revoked, citing the organisation’s alleged involvement in violent crimes and unlawful activities within the state.

The governor urged the Nigeria Police Force and the DSS to intensify their efforts in curbing the operations of groups allegedly involved in criminality and ensure that those responsible for these acts are brought to justice.

EARLIER, yesterday, the state government had announced plans to take legal action against the group over its alleged involvement in cult-related violence and killings in the state.

In a statement, Itua said the government’s decision followed the group’s opposition to the recent demolition of a building allegedly tied to violent cult activities. The state government asserted that the group’s stance implicitly confirmed its association with the criminal activities conducted at the demolished site.

“The demolished building served as a hub for planning and executing violent attacks in Benin and beyond,” Itua said. “The government cannot allow such structures to exist unchallenged. The demolition was carried out lawfully under the Anti-cultism Law passed by the Edo State House of Assembly.”

He added that a divisional police station would be constructed on the site to deter crime and enhance security, emphasising that more demolitions of cult-related properties would follow.

Reacting to NBM’s claims of renovating schools during Governor Okpebholo’s tenure, Itua demanded documented proof and official authorisation for the projects. “Failure to comply will attract legal action for defamation and unauthorised infrastructural interference,” he said.

The Neo Black Movement, however, criticised the state government’s actions, describing the demolition of its building as unconstitutional and a violation of the Nigerian Constitution. Kakor, and National Secretary, Chief Kelvin Agbroko, accused the government of targeting political opponents.

“Why would the governor demolish the organisation’s structure due to the affiliations of a few members with other political parties?” the statement read.

The group claimed it had donated desks, chairs, doors, and writing materials to 12 schools recommended by the government and accused the administration of disregarding its humanitarian efforts.

The government’s bulldozers reportedly arrived at the group’s international secretariat on April 30, 2025, to carry out the demolition. The NBM alleged this was done without prior notification and condemned the action as unconstitutional.

Meanwhile, the Deputy Governor, Dennis Idahosa, has denied allegations linking him to cultism. In a personally signed statement, Idahosa described the claims as “false, malicious, and designed to tarnish my image.” He vowed to pursue legal redress against those responsible for the allegations.

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