By Comrade Ikhuenbor Felix Igbinevbo (Mr Figo)
Governor Monday Okpebholo has demonstrated clear readiness to confront crime and restore order across Edo State. His commitment is evident, and his determination to protect lives, land, and institutions is not in doubt. However, one painful truth must be stated plainly: the land-grabbing crisis confronting Edo State is overwhelmingly an Edo South problem, and it cannot be resolved by the governor alone without the deliberate and active support of Edo South people themselves.
This menace is not destroying Edo North.
It is not tearing apart Edo Central.
Edo South has become the epicenter of land grabbing, criminal intimidation, youth violence, and the gradual erosion of ancestral values.
I am fully aware that speaking this truth will attract resentment. I have lived with such hatred before and remain prepared for more. But silence has become too costly.
Edo South is fast sliding into a senatorial district of disgrace and dishonour. What once commanded respect now attracts ridicule. Daily, Edo South is mentioned for the wrong reasons—reckless land sales, communal conflicts, cult-related violence, and criminality masquerading as leadership.
Disturbing reports about our youth continue to surface. Many are being pulled into destructive criminal networks, not because they lack potential, but because leadership has failed to protect and guide them. Ancestral homes are being sold—not for development, but under intimidation, pressure, and the influence of organized land-grabbing syndicates.
It must be clearly stated that when His Royal Majesty, the Oba of Benin, ascended the throne, Community Development Association (CDA) activities were banned, with the backing and support of the state government. That decision was a necessary step to restore order and protect communal harmony. However, the reality today is that the hidden structures of former CDA operations did not disappear. They merely went underground, resurfacing in more subtle, fragmented, and dangerous forms—operating without accountability, exploiting fear, and fueling the current land-grabbing crisis.
Governor Okpebholo is ready to act, but the challenge in Edo South is deeply rooted. Allegedly, those sponsoring, funding, and shielding this criminal enterprise are individuals embedded across various spheres of influence within the district. Even more troubling is the role of some traditional figures who should be custodians of land and culture, but have either remained silent, compromised their sacred responsibilities, or benefited from the disorder.
This is why Edo South must look inward.
No level of state enforcement can succeed if Edo South people continue to protect criminals out of fear, personal loyalty, or material gain. No governor can reclaim our land while justice is undermined from within.
If Edo South is to be redeemed, its people must rise—above silence, godfatherism, and compromised interests—to openly support the governor’s efforts to crush land grabbing and criminality completely, regardless of whose interests are affected.
If we refuse to stand with him, then we must accept responsibility for the disgrace that continues to trail our name.
I am ready to be hated for saying this, because silence has already cost Edo South too much. History will not remember those who looked away while their land was destroyed. It will remember those who spoke when speaking carried a price.
Governor Monday Okpebholo is ready to confront this crisis.
Edo South must now decide whether it wants correction—or collapse.
#MrFigoSpeaks
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