The Special Security Squad, codenamed Operation Flush Out Kidnappers and Cultists, has arrested several suspected cult leaders and recovered dangerous weapons in a targeted raid in the Evboutubu area of Benin City.
Naijaonpoint reports that the operation, which took place on Friday, July 18, 2025, is part of the sustained effort by the Edo State Government to tackle rising insecurity and cult-related violence in the state.
According to a statement from the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Fred Itua, one of the arrested suspects is a high-ranking leader of a notorious cult group. He was apprehended at a hideout in Iguedaiyi village, where a search of his residence led to the recovery of weapons.
The raid followed actionable intelligence provided by two previously arrested cult suspects, who revealed the locations of several criminal enclaves in the Egor Local Government Area.
“These community members have complained bitterly over the operations of some of the arrested cult members,” a security team member, Ameloemen Idemudia Noah, said while briefing journalists.
The Special Security Squad is a multi-agency task force composed of personnel from the Nigerian Army, Nigeria Police, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), vigilante groups, hunters, and repentant cultists, all working together to identify, isolate, and eliminate security threats in Edo State.
The team’s latest operation focused on known cult hotspots, culminating in the recovery of weapons and the arrest of key figures in cult networks.
Noah affirmed the team’s professionalism, saying, “We are guided by intelligence reports and investigation. Our operation is not politically motivated, as some are trying to suggest. We are here to serve and secure the people of Edo State.”
Noah further emphasised that while the team’s mandate focuses on tackling cultism and kidnapping, other criminal elements exposed during operations would be handled accordingly by the appropriate law enforcement agencies.
“The killing and insecurity in the state must stop. All criminal elements must be arrested and brought to book to ensure the state is safe for all Edo people,” he said.
He added that “today’s activities were a success as the team recovered weapons from suspected cult leaders arrested. We are getting cooperation from communities, and that is key to winning this war.”
Governor Monday Okpebholo, who established the Special Security Squad shortly after assuming office, has reiterated his administration’s zero tolerance for cultism, kidnapping, and other violent crimes.