Edo Traditional Worshippers Conduct Anti‑Crime Rituals Following Oba’s Order

A powerful display of cultural authority unfolded in Benin City on Wednesday as traditional worshippers carried out ancestral rites and invoked curses against kidnappers, bandits and other violent criminals. The ceremony, ordered by the Oba of Benin, His Royal Majesty Omo N’Oba N’Edo, Uku Akpolokpolo, Oba Ewuare II, formed part of renewed efforts to confront rising insecurity in Edo State and across Nigeria.

ValidViewNetwork reports that the spiritual exercise began with a solemn procession from the Oba’s Palace and culminated at the palace’s main entrance, where traditional priests, priestesses and Ewaise (traditional physicians) performed propitiatory rites. Dressed in ceremonial regalia and bearing sacred objects, they poured libations and invoked ancestral spirits to bear witness against perpetrators of violence and those aiding them.

The rites also included traditional fortification rituals aimed at spiritually protecting the land from banditry, kidnapping and other criminal activities. Prayers were offered for peace, stability and the continued development of Edo State and Nigeria. ValidViewNetwork reports that the Benin Palace emphasized that the rites were designed to complement — not replace — conventional security measures.

The exercise followed Oba Ewuare II’s directive last Wednesday summoning traditional worshippers across the Benin Kingdom to revive ancient methods of addressing worsening insecurity. According to the monarch, the time had come to deploy traditional spiritual mechanisms alongside government efforts to restore order.

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Speaking after the ceremony, the head of the Ewaise Palace group, Chief Osemwonta Iguezigbon, said the Oba’s instruction was driven by the alarming rise in violent crimes nationwide. “What happened today was directed by the Oba of Benin, considering what is happening not only in Edo State but also in Nigeria. Our Oba thought it wise to put a stop to it,” he said.

Chief Clement Edegbe, the Chief Priest of the Ayelala deity, expressed confidence that the intervention would expose criminals and their collaborators. “A lot of things have been going wrong in Benin. Some people are no longer respecting elders. There has been a lot of kidnapping and other crimes,” he said.

The Oyeoba of Benin, Chief Isaac Oghafua Ogiemwense, explained that the rites were intended to spiritually strengthen the land against criminal activities. Priestess Constance Eguavoen also commended Oba Ewuare II for reviving traditional practices to confront insecurity.

According to the Benin Palace, the ancestral rites are part of a broader strategy to support government and security agencies in restoring peace and safeguarding lives and property. And as Edo State continues to battle rising criminality, the ceremony underscores a growing belief that traditional institutions — long regarded as custodians of moral order — still hold potent tools for confronting modern threats, ValidViewNetwork reports.