Yahoo Boys’ Secret Operational Base in Edo Demolished as Okpebholo Intensifies Onslaught Against Cult-Related Killings, Ritualists and Kidnappers

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Governor Monday Okpebholo has turned the heat on cultists, ritual killers and kidnappers who have turned the state into a killing field.
Barely 24 hours after a multi-million naira duplex whose owner was linked to kidnapping was pulled down, the bulldozers were on Thursday deployed to another edifice and other structures whose owners were allegedly engaged in cybercrimes, kidnapping and rituals.
Amid resurgence in violent crimes and killings, Governor Okpebholo had issued a stern warning to landlords that his administration would not hesitate to demolish buildings linked to criminal activities such as kidnapping, cultism, and rituals in order to guarantee a crime-free environment in the state.
The governor, who personally supervised the demolition of a building located in the Ogheghe area of Benin City on Wednesday, vowed that there would be no sanctuary for criminals in the state.
The demolished building was reportedly used for internet fraud and kidnapping, with victims allegedly held against their will and subjected to ritualistic practices.
Visibly disturbed by what he witnessed at the site, the Governor said: “I am saddened by what is happening here. Children were kidnapped and kept here for years. You can see the shrines in this apartment—this is wickedness in its highest form. This kind of evil is unacceptable in Edo State.”
Reaffirming his administration’s commitment to security, the Governor vowed: “We will continue to fight crime and criminality. Wherever they hide, we will fish them out and demolish their hideouts. There will be no sanctuary for criminals in Edo State. We are serious and resolute—Edo must be safe.”
Announcing plans to repurpose the sites of demolished properties for public use, Senator Okpebholo said, “We are going to build a police station here. Any land where such buildings are taken down will be used to serve the community”.
In a related development, the Edo State Government has made significant progress in its crackdown on cultism, following the demolition of an operational base belonging to a notorious cult group implicated in recent killings in Benin City.
The facility, located at the end of Arena Street in Amagba GRA, featured a hall, several rooms fitted with mattresses, and office spaces—believed to have served as a hub for the group’s activities. The property is also bordered by a moat reportedly used for initiation rituals. Notably, the premises also contained an “Industrial Overhead Stand and Tanks donated by its Asia Region 2016–2021.”
This action followed the recent enforcement of a new anti-cultism law signed by Governor Okpebholo, which empowers the State to demolish properties associated with cult activities.
Giving more insight into the sealing off of Eterno Hotel and Event Centre belonging to Matthew Iduoriyekemwen, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, the government alleged in a statement by the chief press secretary to the governor, Fred Itua, that it was “linked to another cult group believed to be behind recent killings in the area”.
The statement reiterated the governor’s stance that “No stone will be left unturned, and no individual, regardless of their status, will be spared under the provisions of the Cultism-Related Offenses Law”, stressing that “We are determined to restore peace and order in Edo State.”