Evboyare community in Uhunmwode Local Government Area of Edo State was thrown into turmoil following a violent clash between rival cult groups, the Eiye and Maphite confraternities, which left one person, identified as Festus, dead. The incident was confirmed on Thursday by the Coordinator of the Edo State Government’s Special Security Squad, Idemudia Noah, in a statement issued by the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Monday Okpebholo, Fred Itua.
Noah described the aftermath of the violence as bloody, disclosing that intelligence reports linked a suspected Maphite leader, Felix Aigbedion, to the crisis. His residence has since been sealed, while he has been declared wanted by security operatives. According to Noah, when his team arrived in Evboyare, the community had been deserted, with destroyed homes, vehicles, and personal belongings littering the area. Two locally-made firearms were also recovered from a poultry house allegedly converted into an armory for the cultists.
In a separate intelligence-led raid, operatives stormed an unoccupied building in Egbaen, Egor Local Government Area, where they uncovered a shrine at the rear of the premises. The house, said to belong to one Marvellous Adetarami, contained a white casket and fetish items suspected to be used for cult initiation and other clandestine rituals. The government has since ordered the immediate sealing of the property as part of its crackdown on both the physical and spiritual infrastructure of cultism in the state.
Reiterating the administration’s stance, Noah said the government is uncompromising in its determination to rid Edo State of cult-related violence. “These measures are not symbolic. They are a clear statement that clandestine activities will no longer find sanctuary in Edo State,” he declared. He further revealed that investigations uncovered evidence of extortion during initiation processes, including forced monetary transfers from victims to cultists.
Noah stressed that the Police had been fully briefed and are working to ensure prosecutions, while warning cultists to either renounce membership or leave Edo State. He assured that Governor Okpebholo’s administration remains committed to safeguarding the state, restoring peace and stability, and creating a safe environment for residents and businesses alike.
