The Oba Ewuare II has directed traditional worshippers in Edo State to perform ancestral rites and invoke curses against kidnappers, bandits and other violent criminals as part of efforts to tackle rising insecurity.

According to a report by Channels Television, the spiritual exercise took place in Benin City on Wednesday, following a directive from the Benin monarch.

The ceremony began with a procession from the Oba’s Palace and ended at the palace’s main entrance, where traditional priests, priestesses and traditional physicians known as Ewaise performed libations, propitiatory rites and spiritual fortification rituals.

Participants, dressed in ceremonial regalia and carrying sacred objects, invoked ancestral spirits to expose and punish those involved in kidnapping, banditry and other violent crimes, including their collaborators.

Chief Osemwonta Iguezigbon, head of the Ewaise Palace group, said the monarch ordered the spiritual intervention in response to worsening insecurity in Edo and across Nigeria.

He said the Oba believed urgent action was necessary to confront the growing wave of criminal activities threatening lives and property.

Chief Clement Edegbe, Chief Priest of the Ayelala deity, expressed confidence that the traditional rites would help expose criminals and curb violent crimes. He noted that increasing cases of kidnapping and lawlessness had become a major concern in the state.

The Oyeoba of Benin, Chief Isaac Oghafua Ogiemwense, said the ritual was aimed at spiritually strengthening the land against insecurity, while priestess Constance Eguavoen praised the monarch for reviving traditional methods to support efforts against crime.

The Benin Palace stressed that the rites are not intended to replace conventional security operations but to complement efforts by government and security agencies to restore peace and safeguard lives and property in Edo State and across Nigeria.