Okpebholo Intensifies Security Drive with Upgrades to Edo Command and Control Centre
Crime/Social Justice
Benin, Edo — The Edo State Government under Governor Monday Okpebholo is expanding its security architecture with major upgrades to the Edo State Command and Control Centre, as part of a broader push to tackle crime through intelligence-led operations and community engagement.
In a statement issued by Hon. Haruna Braimoh, Special Adviser on Public Affairs to the Governor, the administration highlighted the centre as a cornerstone of Governor Okpebholo’s Project SHINE governance agenda, particularly its security pillar.
The initiative focuses on swift action, robust intelligence gathering, and the deployment of modern technology to combat kidnapping, cult-related violence, and other criminal activities.
The government is currently revitalizing the facility with targeted interventions:
• Infrastructure Upgrade: Enhancement of digital communication systems and expansion of surveillance camera networks to facilitate faster incident reporting and emergency response.
• Intelligence and Rapid Response: Positioning the centre as a central hub for real-time coordination and dispatch.
• Community Integration: Creating a platform for residents to report emergencies and share credible intelligence, strengthening collaboration between citizens and security agencies.
These efforts form part of a wider security strategy that includes operational support to security agencies and sustained investment in digital infrastructure.
The statement emphasized that while security is an ongoing responsibility, current measures are already producing positive results.
Governor Okpebholo has repeatedly stressed zero tolerance for criminality, including recent parades of suspected kidnappers and cultists, announcements of special courts for speedy prosecution, and the provision of new patrol vehicles to security operatives.
The revitalization comes amid public discourse on security infrastructure in the state, with some residents and observers calling for full reactivation of systems established in previous administrations.
The Okpebholo administration maintains that its current investments build on and strengthen existing capabilities under the SHINE agenda — Security, Healthcare, Infrastructure, Education, and Economy.
The government reiterated its commitment to creating an environment where “criminality has no place to thrive,” describing the Command and Control Centre as vital for intelligence-driven policing and public safety across Edo State.
