War On Cultism: Okpebholo May Demolish PDP Chieftain’s Hotel, Insists There’ll Be No Sacred Cow

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A multi-million-naira Eterno Hotel and Event Centre located along Aiguobasinmwin Crescent in the Government Reserved Area (GRA) of Benin City, Edo State, owned by a chieftain of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, Matthew Iduoriyekemwen, faces threat of demolition by the state government.
The chief press secretary to the state governor, Fred Itua, gave a hint to this effect when on behalf of his principal, Governor Monday Okpebholo, he supervised the demolition of a mansion allegedly linked to kidnapping and organ harvesting on Tuesday in Benin
Recall that the Eterno Hotel belonging to the Director General of the Asue/Ogie Governorship Campaign Organisation for the September 21, 2024, gubernatorial election in Edo State was sealed off on Tuesday by the state government and marked for demolition.
Itua said Governor Okpebholo, amid resurgence in cult killings and other violent crimes, had launched a crackdown on crime-related properties, beginning with the demolition of buildings connected to kidnappings and cult-related violence in the state.
Recall that Senator Okpebholo had on Tuesday read the riot act to known leaders of cult groups to rein in their members or take full responsibility for their conduct.
Frowning at the breach of agreements reached during several meetings he held with them last year, he declared unequivocally that the state would no longer tolerate the senseless killings of the youth in the state and the destabilisation of communities.
Warning that “there will be no sacred cow”, Okpebholo asserted that “those who have tested the will of the state will face the full weight of the Edo State Anti-Cultism and Kidnapping Law”.
During the demolition of the residential duplex along Sapele Road in the outskirts of Benin City, Itua explained that the Eterno Hotel and Event Centre were being used by cult groups as gathering points before launching attacks that had claimed several lives.
Confirming that the demolished property was the site of a gruesome crime involving the abduction and killing of a young woman for organ harvesting, the CPS revealed that the suspect had been arrested in Lagos and would be sent to Edo State to face prosecution.
While stating that the building was where the crime occurred, Itua disclosed that “it is owned by the father of the suspect, who has also made useful statements to the authorities”.
Sending a strong signal to persons with similar inclination, Itua said “His Excellency has directed that this is only the beginning. More buildings used for criminal activities will be demolished. This is backed by existing laws enacted by the present administration.”
Dismissing the allegation that the demolition was politically motivated, Itua insisted that it hd nothing to do with politics.
“This is not a political witch-hunt. These buildings were used for acts that contravene the laws of Edo State. The Governor has made it clear that anyone involved in cultism or related crimes will face the full force of the law,” he asserted.
The owner of the demolished building, Mr. Martins Oghenewore, recounted the shocking moment he learned of the crime.
“On the 23rd of this month, while returning home, my wife called to inform me that our son had murdered a woman in his quarters. I immediately reported to the police, who followed me home and helped convey the corpse to the mortuary. I’ve been in police custody since then,” he said.
Further disclosing that his 28-year-old son had long exhibited troubling behavior, Oghenewore said, “I trained him from primary school through university in Ekpoma. For over a decade, he has been a problem. I took him to rehab, neuropsychiatric centres, and even traditional healers. He rarely slept at home, drank excessively, and was often missing. Now he has destroyed everything I worked for. This house was my retirement plan, and now I’m watching it being torn down. It’s heartbreaking”.
Authorities confirmed the suspect was apprehended in Lagos with human body parts recovered from him. Investigations are ongoing as the government intensifies efforts to stamp out kidnapping and cultism across the state.