BENIN CITY: The Oba of Benin, Oba Ewuare II, has directed all traditional chiefs and Leaders in Benin Kingdom to perform the traditional “Bisusu” ceremony to ward off evil ahead of the Edo governorship election. The Oba’s directive is contained in a statement by Stanley Obamwonyi, the Esere of Benin, on Wednesday, in Benin.
The ceremony, which entails waving away disaster, must be carried out right away and with customary objects.
Mr. Obamwonyi states that the Oba’s decree seeks to ensure that there will be no violence or other electoral violations on September 21, the day of the state’s election.
The ceremony, which entails waving away disaster, must be carried
out right away and with customary objectsThe ‘bisusu’ ceremony is a traditional ritual performed by the Benin people to ward off evil and calamity from their land,” claimed the Esere of Benin.
By directing the chiefs to successfully carry out this ceremony, the Oba employs his traditional power to ensure a calm and smoothly conducted election.”
He stated that all of the chiefs of the Benin Kingdom’s many deities—Enigie, Ikao, Edionwere, and Igie Ohen—would participate in the “Bisusu” event.
He stated that after receiving the order, traditional leaders in the Kingdom of Benin were supposed to move right away to carry out the ritual and apply their influence to ensure a peaceful election.
The police in Edo, on Tuesday, said they have arrested the Chairperson of Esan West Local Government Area of the state, Collins Aigbogun, over alleged political violence in the area.
Dangerous trend of violence.
There has been tension and pre-election violence in Edo since the beginning of the year.
On 18 July, a police inspector was killed during an attacktack on the APC governorship candidate, Monday Okpebholo. Gunmen fired at Mr Okpebholo’s convoy while he was leaving the Benin Airport shortly after he and others arrived from Abuja.
Mr Okpebholo was in the company of the reinstated Deputy Governor of Edo, Philips Shaibu.
“Since April 2024, 19 major incidents of pre-election violence have been recorded by Situation Room partner, Kimpact Development Initiative, which is tracking election-related violence ahead of the polls. In many of these incidents, which include shootings and assaults, victims sustained varying degrees of injuries,” the Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room said on 19 July while expressing concern about the pre-election violence in Edo.
The group said the attack on Mr Okpebholo’s convoy and the killing of the police inspector was the height of the pre-election violence in the state.
“Situation Room is worried that if this dangerous trend is allowed to fester, it will have grave consequences for the 21 September Governorship election. We, therefore, call on security agencies to fish out perpetrators of violence and prosecute them accordingly,” the group added.
The police in Edo, on Tuesday, said they have arrested the chairperson of Esan West Local Government Area of the state, Collins Aigbogun, over alleged political violence in the area.
Nemi Edwin-Iwo, the commissioner of police in Edo, said the Force Criminal Investigation Department had moved the council chairperson to Abuja over the matter
“What happened was that he brutalised somebody in the course of an altercation between himself and other party members.
“He was invited, and the DPO in the area brought him to the State CID, where it was discovered that earlier, before now, he had other charges against him,” the police commissioner said.
The police said they are mopping-up illegal arms in Edo state.
