Oba of Benin Convenes Emergency Meeting with Traditional Healers and Youth Leaders Over Rising Insecurity

The Oba of Benin, Oba Ewuare II, has issued an urgent summons to all native doctors, traditional priests, and priestesses across the Benin Kingdom to address the worsening security situation in Edo State and the country at large.

The directive was made public through a statement issued by the Benin Traditional Council on Friday. According to the palace authority, the monarch has deemed it vital to explore traditional and strategic interventions to complement ongoing government and security agencies’ efforts to restore peace and order.

The emergency meeting for the traditional healers and priests, known locally as the Igiohen N’ Ikpia and Igiohen N’ Ikhuo, is scheduled for Tuesday, June 23, 2026, at 12:00 PM at the Oba’s palace. Palace officials emphasized that the invitation carries the highest level of urgency.

In a parallel move to address localized criminal activities, the Benin Traditional Council announced a subsequent meeting at the palace on Wednesday, June 24, 2026. This second gathering will host community youth leaders, known as Okaighele. The dual interventions mark a decisive push by the ancient traditional institution to actively support state law enforcement mechanisms amid a recent surge in kidnapping and cult-related violence across the state.