Family sources said Aigbogun was initially accused of sponsoring a protest that erupted in Ekpoma following the kidnapping and killing of a victim, but investigators reportedly found no evidence linking him to the allegation.
A former Special Adviser on Youth Mobilisation to Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, Mr. Collins Aigbogun, has spent several days in police detention amid emotional pleas from his wife and family members, who are calling on the governor to intervene and order his immediate release.
SaharaReporters gathered that Aigbogun was arrested on January 11, 2026, by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) and subsequently transferred to the Edo State Criminal Investigation Department (State CID) on January 14, 2026.
Despite spending about five days in custody without being formally charged or granted bail, SaharaReporters learnt that security agencies later obtained a 14-day court order on January 16, 2026, allowing them to detain him for an additional two weeks.
Family sources said Aigbogun was initially accused of sponsoring a protest that erupted in Ekpoma following the kidnapping and killing of a victim, but investigators reportedly found no evidence linking him to the allegation.
The narrative later shifted, with security agencies allegedly accusing him of organising the kidnapping and murder itself in order to incite the protest. That allegation, the family said, also collapsed for lack of evidence.
According to sources familiar with the investigation, the police have since concluded their probe and submitted their reports, with no incriminating findings against Aigbogun.
SaharaReporters was told that security operatives searched his two private residences as well as his former office at the Government House, even though a new appointee had already assumed duties there. Nothing implicating him was allegedly discovered.
Aigbogun’s arrest has also raised questions about the circumstances surrounding his detention.
SaharaReporters learned that he was picked up by DSS operatives at the Government House in Benin City on January 11, 2026, shortly after he was invited by Governor Okpebholo to see him.
Both men had earlier that day paid a visit to the Onojie of Ekpoma.
Speaking with SaharaReporters on Wednesday, Aigbogun’s wife, Vivian Aigbogun, broke down in tears as she appealed directly to the governor to order her husband’s release, citing their longstanding relationship and the hardship his continued detention has imposed on the family.
“My last-born child is just two months old,” she said, sobbing. “I am appealing to the governor to consider the relationship he already has with my husband and see him like a son.”
Vivian explained that the crisis began after a tragic incident in Ekpoma. According to her, a person was kidnapped on Friday and killed less than two hours later, an incident that sparked protests in the town on Saturday.
“From what I know, there was a protest in Ekpoma on Saturday. Someone was kidnapped on Friday and was killed less than two hours later. That incident sparked a protest on Saturday,” she said.
“At the time, we were all in Benin. Throughout Friday and Saturday, I was with my husband, and the governor was not around. On Sunday morning, my husband got a call that the governor was returning to Edo State. He then left for GRA, where the governor resides.”
She said she spoke with her husband after he arrived at the Government House and was assured that he was with the governor.
“Later, around 6pm, his driver called to inform me that he had been picked up by the DSS,” she added.
Vivian said she went to the DSS office the following Monday but was repeatedly denied access to her husband.
“On Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, I kept going. I finally saw him on Wednesday afternoon. According to the officers, their investigation found nothing incriminating against him, and they were instructed to transfer him to the State CID,” she said.
“He has been with the State CID from Wednesday until today,” she added, noting that he has still not been charged or taken to court.
When asked whether her husband had been arraigned, Vivian responded emphatically: “No. There has been no court appearance and no formal charges.”
She explained that the allegations against her husband kept changing. “Initially, they alleged that he knew about the protest beforehand or that he was proactive about it, which is untrue. Later, there were claims that he instigated the protest,” she said.
She also referenced the arrest of students allegedly involved in the Ekpoma protest. “As you may have seen on social media, some students who were allegedly involved in the protest were arrested. About 52 students were remanded briefly and then released. Right now, only my husband and another individual, an SSA on Drugs to the governor, remain in custody.”
Vivian insisted that thorough searches conducted by security agencies yielded nothing incriminating.
“Our house in Benin was searched, and we also have a home in Ekpoma, our hometown where the protest took place and where Ambrose Alli University is located. Both houses were searched. The gateman was present during the search in Ekpoma. Nothing was found,” she said.
“Yet, he continues to be detained. When we ask the Commissioner of Police, we are told they are still interrogating and investigating. Everyone else who has been called in for questioning has been allowed to go home. Why is my husband still being held?”
The emotional toll of the detention, she said, has been overwhelming.
“It’s very hard. I have a toddler who is less than three years old and a newborn who just turned two months a few days ago. This situation is emotionally and physically draining. I need all the help I can get,” Vivian said.
She stressed that her husband is willing to cooperate fully with investigators if necessary. “If investigations are still ongoing, he can always report to the police station like everyone else and return home.”
In a direct plea to Governor Okpebholo, Vivian said she believes her husband is being targeted based on false information.
“I want to appeal to the governor to consider the relationship they already have. My husband is like a son to him. I understand that the governor may be acting on what he has been told, which may be fueled by lies or jealousy, and I do not blame him for that,” she said.
“I am pleading with the governor to see my husband as his son, call him, release him, and allow these issues to be resolved amicably.”
She maintained that Aigbogun could not have instigated a protest against an administration he served.
“As a wife who spent the last 48 hours with her husband before his arrest, I can say categorically—100 percent—that my husband did not and could not have instigated a protest against a government he serves,” she said.
“No rational person would destroy his own career in that manner.”
“I am appealing to the governor to show mercy, to consider me and the children, and to instruct those holding my husband to release him. I am not arguing with anyone. I am simply pleading that my husband be released and allowed to return home to his family.”