Benin City – The Edo State Government has announced the postponement of the resumption date for all public and private schools in the Edo Central Senatorial District until further notice, citing security concerns in the area.
The district, which is the home region of Governor Monday Okpebholo, has recently experienced a series of security challenges.
In a statement issued on Monday, the Commissioner for Education, Dr. Paddy Iyamu, said the decision was taken to allow the government address prevailing security exigencies and ensure the safety and welfare of students.
“The new date of resumption will be duly communicated to the public in due course,” Iyamu said.
“Parents, guardians, and all education stakeholders within Edo Central Senatorial District are kindly requested to take note of this development and comply accordingly.”
The postponement follows a peaceful protest held last Saturday in Ekpoma, Esan West Local Government Area, over rising cases of insecurity and kidnapping in the area. The protest later turned violent after it was reportedly hijacked by hoodlums.
During the unrest, a major highway was blocked, commercial activities were disrupted, and traders at the livestock market were attacked. Viral videos showed goats being killed and cows beaten during the chaos.
The assailants also invaded and vandalised the palace of the Onojie of Ekpoma, Zaiki Anthony Abumere II, an act that drew strong condemnation from Governor Okpebholo.
On Monday, the governor, accompanied by top government officials, the Commissioner of Police, Monday Agbonika, and leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC), visited the palace to assess the extent of the damage.
Several vehicles, canopies, chairs, doors, and windows were destroyed, while goods belonging to the monarch’s wife were also vandalised.
Describing the incident as criminal and unacceptable, Governor Okpebholo stressed that protests must never be used as a pretext for lawlessness. He further disclosed that a security meeting had earlier been held with a strong focus on Edo Central, particularly the Ekpoma axis, noting that strategic, technology-driven security operations had since been deployed to restore order.
