Growing concerns over insecurity in Edo State have prompted fresh calls for tighter controls on who settles in rural communities, with community leaders warning that unchecked migration could worsen kidnapping and banditry.
Convener of the Esan Worldwide Community (EWC), Aigbokhan Oseremen, has urged the Edo State Government to introduce a permit system for outsiders seeking to live in villages and forest settlements across the state.
He made the call during an appearance on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Monday.
According to Oseremen, allowing people to settle in communities without proper documentation, monitoring, or economic engagement poses a serious security risk.
“Anyone who wants to reside in our villages or bushes should obtain a permit, and such persons must be properly monitored,” he said, stressing that the policy should be implemented without delay.
He further alleged that some individuals entering Edo communities under the guise of herding were involved in criminal activities, claiming that many of them were not ordinary herders but armed elements operating within forest areas.
Oseremen expressed concern over the increasing movement of herders into towns such as Uromi, alleging that large numbers were being transported daily into the state.
“When you bring people into a community with no jobs or means of livelihood, the next thing they turn to is banditry and kidnapping,” he said, adding that the presence of entire families deep in forest settlements made nearby villages vulnerable to attacks.
While acknowledging that some local youths may also be complicit, Oseremen said criminal networks thrive when residents collaborate with external actors.
“Some of our youths are involved, possibly attracted by money. That’s why cult clashes and insecurity persist in places like Ekpoma. When villagers aid crime, it becomes a major challenge for the government,” he noted.
He advocated for comprehensive profiling of all settlers and called for the dismantling of illegal forest camps and huts allegedly used as hideouts by criminal elements.
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The comments come amid heightened tension in parts of Edo Central Senatorial District, where residents recently staged protests over rising cases of kidnapping and killings. A viral video from the protest showed suspected cattle breeders fleeing a market after spotting demonstrators.
In response to the growing outcry, the Edo State Government has assured residents that decisive action is underway.
Speaking on Channels Television, the Special Adviser to Governor Monday Okpebholo on Media and Publicity, Bugie Okhuemoi, said security agencies were deploying technology-driven strategies to flush out criminal elements from forest areas.
“The solution is to identify where they are hiding in the forest and dislodge them,” Okhuemoi said, adding that several measures had already been activated and their impact would soon be evident.
Residents, however, continue to call for swift and visible action as fears over safety and security persist across affected communities.