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‎From Adesuwa Osas, Benin City

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‎The leadership of the Coalition of Registered Political Parties (CRPP)

‎has condemned the broad daylight kidnapping at the Vegetable Market along the Airport Road in Benin City, Edo State, where a woman was forcefully abducted after they failed to kidnap her husband.

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‎The coalition stated that it is alarming that armed criminals are so daring and emboldened to the point of operating right inside Benin City, the state capital in broad daylight.

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‎”It is most embarrassing that the hoodlums operated unchallenged for close to 30 minutes at a distance of less than 500 metres away from the Government House, and about 50 metres away from the Aideyan Police division.

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‎”Fear and apprehension have now taken over the entire state, as kidnappers, cultists and armed bandits have ravaged the three senatorial districts, including Esanland, the ancestral home of Governor Okpebholo. Investors are now on the run because of the insecurity in the state,” the National Chairman, Dr Samson Isibor, and the Secretary, Mr Nkaa Waribe, said in a joint statement.

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‎They queried the Governor’s use of the security votes which are close to ₦1 billion every month that goes to Edo State.

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‎”Instead of putting the huge sum of money to work to secure the state, he is busy campaigning for 2.5 million votes for President Bola Tinubu. He is doing nothing to protect the lives and properties of the citizens.

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‎”It is disgusting that operatives of the Edo State Security Network who are paid with tax payers’ money and are supposed to be patrolling major cities are busy extorting money from motorists at checkpoints.

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‎”We call on Governor Okpebholo to wake up from his slumber, and take proactive steps to check the rising insecurity across the state. We are tired of his lamentation and messages of commiseration to the traumatised families of victims,” they added.