By Alltimepost.com
[dropcap]E[/dropcap]do State Government has aligned itself with the Benin Monarch’s far-reaching decisions and pronouncements, including placing a curse on perpetrators of human trafficking, cultism and other crimes in Edo land.The State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki who made this known on Sunday, hailed the directives of Oba Ewuare II, noting: “the royal intervention would check the menace of human trafficking.”
It would be recalled that His Royal Majesty, Omo N’ Oba N’ Edo Uku Akpolokpolo, Oba Ewuare II, made his pronouncements at a well-attended meeting of chiefs, dukes, native doctors, priests and priestesses in his palace last Friday.
At that historic meeting, Oba Ewuare also warned priests and priestesses of the Benin Traditional Religion to stop offering services to human traffickers and use their God-given power for good.
The Oba, supported by the Ewaise (palace native doctors) and other native doctors revoked all oaths administered by human traffickers through their collaborators, such as some native doctors and priests, on victims of the inhuman trade, with a directive that victims of human trafficking are now free from any spiritual oath.
He directed the trafficked persons to speak out and name their slave masters and mistresses and seek help if need be. He urged the priests, priestesses and native doctors who have been aiding human trafficking in any way, to desist forthwith.
While commenting further on the Oba’s pronouncements, Obaseki said: “As a government, we have tremendous respect for all Edo people and residents in the state as well as their religious convictions.
But we will not accept the perpetration of crime and evil in the name of religion and will not condone any form of support for inhuman practices such as human trafficking.”
With Oba Ewuare II’s pronouncements, he said: “we expect that those people who have been aiding these traffickers would, in their own interest, withdraw their support and focus on their calling. We will not spare anyone irrespective of their religious convictions, when caught.”
Obaseki said the state was working with the federal government through the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) to arrest and jail traffickers and their collaborators.
“We have a law in the works that will further strengthen this fight and this administration will go after anyone that dares the laws,” he warned.
