Oba of Benin Calls Emergency Meeting of Native Doctors Over Insecurity

The Oba of Benin, Oba Ewuare II, has summoned native doctors, traditional priests and priestesses across the Benin Kingdom to an emergency meeting as concerns grow over the security situation in Edo State and other parts of the country.

The directive was contained in a statement issued on Friday by Chief Victor Nosakhare on behalf of the Secretary of the Benin Traditional Council, Frank Irabor.

According to the palace, the meeting forms part of efforts by the traditional institution to explore ways of supporting ongoing government initiatives aimed at restoring peace and public safety.

The statement said the monarch had considered the prevailing security challenges and deemed it necessary to mobilise traditional institutions in complementing official efforts to address the situation.

“Having taken due cognizance of the prevailing security situation within Edo State and the nation at large, His Royal Majesty has deemed it necessary and expedient to further explore all traditional and strategic means to complement the initiatives of government towards the restoration of peace, order and security in our domain,” the statement said.

The Benin Traditional Council consequently directed all traditional healers, priests and priestesses in the kingdom to attend the meeting scheduled for Tuesday, June 23, 2026, at the Oba’s Palace in Benin City.

The palace stressed that the gathering, convened under the authority of the monarch, should be treated with urgency by all concerned.

It explained that discussions would focus on the role traditional institutions could play in supporting efforts to tackle insecurity and promote stability within the kingdom and beyond.

In a related development, the Benin Traditional Council has also invited youth leaders, popularly known as Okaighele, to a separate meeting slated for Wednesday, June 24, 2026, at the palace.

The back-to-back meetings signal a broader move by the palace to engage critical stakeholders within the traditional system as concerns persist over kidnapping, cult-related violence and other security threats in parts of Edo State.

The development comes amid increasing calls for closer collaboration between government authorities, security agencies and traditional institutions in addressing security challenges confronting communities across the country.