BENIN CITY, EDO STATE — Aggrieved market women took to the streets of Benin City on Wednesday to stage a massive protest against Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo, accusing him of locking them out of the newly reconstructed Oba Market.
The demonstration has completely paralyzed commercial activities around the city center, with the traders demanding immediate access to their trading spaces following a bitter, multi-month infrastructure dispute.
The Breach of Contract: Rebuilt and Restricted
The crisis traces its origins back to October 2025, when a devastating fire completely razed the historic Oba Market, destroying the livelihoods and inventories of thousands of local traders. During an emergency visit to the ruins, Governor Okpebholo explicitly promised that the state government would fully finance the rebuilding of the facility. Crucially, the governor gave the displaced market women a firm, public assurance that they would retain their original shops in the new building without financial penalties.
However, having completed the reconstruction, the state administration has suddenly denied the original traders access to the perimeter. Security personnel have barricaded the entrance gates, leaving the women stranded outside on the streets with their goods.
Fears of Political Reallocation and Cronyism
The primary catalyst for Wednesday’s protest is the deep-seated fear among the traders that their properties are being systematically hijacked by state actors for political patronage.
“We are protesting to force the governor to fulfill his original assurance,” stated one of the market leaders at the rally. “The market has been finished, but they won’t let us back in. We have reliable information that the government wants to reallocate our shops to their own party faithfuls, political loyalists, and families, leaving those of us who suffered the fire with absolutely nothing.”
The women, chanting solidarity songs and holding up empty display baskets, warned that they would continue to occupy the main thoroughfares surrounding the Government House until the keys to their respective stalls are handed over.
An Exploitative Trend in State Markets
Political analysts note that this market lockout mirrors a recurring grievance across southern commercial hubs, where state governments utilize public funds to rebuild razed markets under the guise of disaster relief, only to later privatize the stalls or auction them to the highest bidder at exorbitant rates that local traders cannot afford.
The Edo State Government has not yet released a formal statement addressing the specific criteria being used for shop distribution or the timeline for the official commissioning of the facility. With tension mounting and civic groups joining the market women in solidarity, observers warn that the administration’s silence risks escalating the localized protest into a broader regional strike action.
