EDO BLEEDS AS EDO PEOPLE PROTEST INSECURITY

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By 

Hon Daniel Asekhame 

A wave of civil unrest has erupted in Ekpoma, Esan West Local Government Area of Edo State, as citizens take to the streets in protest against the persistent failure of government to safeguard lives and property. The riot and mass protest represent a collective outcry against the alarming escalation of kidnappings and senseless killings that have turned once-peaceful communities into theatres of fear and mourning.

This spontaneous uprising is not an act of lawlessness but a desperate expression of public anguish. It is a damning indictment of the Edo State Government under Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, and by extension, the Federal Government of Nigeria, both of which have woefully abdicated their constitutional responsibility to provide security for the people. When citizens are forced to protest for the most basic right—the right to live without fear—it is a clear signal of systemic governance failure.

Rather than confronting the growing insecurity that has ravaged Esan West and other parts of the state, those in positions of authority appear distracted and detached from the grim realities on ground. Governors and political elites are instead preoccupied with political peregrinations, gallivanting across the country in a desperate attempt to manufacture support for a second term for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. This obsession with political survival and succession has taken precedence over governance, accountability, and national stability.

The relentless push by presidential loyalists has not only deepened political polarization but has also paralyzed meaningful economic and social progress. While Nigerians grapple with insecurity, poverty, and despair, the ruling class remains engrossed in internecine power struggles, personal ambition, and the pursuit of political advantage. The nation bleeds, yet its leaders campaign.

The protest in Ekpoma is therefore more than a local disturbance; it is a symbolic rebellion against a governing order that has lost moral authority and public trust. It is a stark reminder that a government that cannot protect its citizens has forfeited its legitimacy. Until security, justice, and responsible leadership are restored, the voices from Ekpoma will echo across Edo State—and indeed Nigeria—as a clarion call for urgent and fundamental change.


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