Frustration and Hunger Fuel Protests in Edo: Citizens Pass Vote of No Confidence on Leaders Amid Benin Outskirts Violence

Empty roads, deserted streets, closed businesses, residents confined to their homes, too afraid to venture out for fear of the unknown. All appeared peaceful, but it was peace of the graveyard in Benin City, Edo State capital, on day one of the much advertised #ENDbadgovernanceinnigeria demonstrations which had sent jitters down the spine of political gladiators in government. A sense of foreboding pervaded the city’s landscape, just like in other parts of our beleaguered nation.
However, at the city centre where protesters had been restricted to by the court, like picnickers, they gathered to ventilate their grievances against a system that had stripped them of their humanity, inflicted them with hunger, starvation, and reduced them to destitute amid obscene opulence by those holding the levers of power. Like Santa Claus, the state commissioner of police, Funsho Adegboye, showed up, and magnanimously promised to supply the ‘picnickers’ with snacks and water so that they did not faint as they hollered and danced to symbolic music by popular revolutionary singers like late Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, Eedris Abdulkareem, African China, among others, blaring from the loudspeakers, as they passed their messages to their oppressors. Unlike the #EndSARS saga of 2020, sanity prevailed; at least for now.

The state government made sure of that as virtually all available security operatives poured out to secure everywhere amid accusation and counteraccusation by the two leading political parties in the September 21 governorship election in the state of sinister plot to instigate violent clashes and visit mayhem on key public infrastructures.

All the major roads leading to the city centre, known as Oba Ovonramwen Square where the protesters gathered, were well secured – Ekehuan Road, Akpakpava Road, Sapele Road, Airport Road and Sokponba Road. All banks and other big business outlets in these major roads were also closed, while there was heavy security at government buildings.

In front of the state House of Assembly Complex, were heavy presence of policemen with a combat-ready Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) and dozens of other armed men, while there were red flags at the precincts of the Benin and Oko Prisons which were targets of attack during the #EndSARS debacle. The courts were also well-fortified with intimidating security presence.

Addressing the crowd who braced it all to show up at the rally, from one speaker to another, the message was clear – we must take back our country from corrupt politicians, reduce pump price of fuel, end corruption in subsidy administration, and accountability in all tiers of government. They advised President Bola Tinubu to resign if he had no solution to Nigeria’s problems.

One of the organisers, Osunbor Kelly Omokaro, said the people “must take Nigeria back from the politicians who have held us ransom in our fatherland. We are not for violence, but we want the government to hear our cry”.

Another activist, ‘Leftist’ Austin Enabulele, said “We are not out to destroy; we must take back our Nigeria. Nigeria does not belong to Tinubu; Nigeria does not belong to Akpabio, but we must not also forget that the state and local governments are part of the government. Our governors are not doing enough. The Supreme Court has given them (local governments councils) financial autonomy, and we must begin to hold them responsible and accountable.”

On her part, Mrs. Anny Umoru said, “I am one of those who have come out to protest and to ensure that there is a peaceful protest. I envisage a peaceful protest, and I also envisage that our message will be passed across to the authorities, and then, they must take action on it. We want to make it a three-day protest”.

Also speaking, Emmanuel Ogbidi said, “They should reduce the pump price of petrol; the government must reduce the price of petrol, bring back subsidies, and stop the corruption in the subsidy administration.”

Another leader of the protesters, Kola Edokpayi, said the protest had been peaceful but passed a vote of no confidence on political leaders in the country saying, “We don’t need to consult the oracle of the hill and the caves to demystify it for us that the protest here is very peaceful. It is the voice of the unheard; it is very sad that we have presidents and governors, local government chairmen that have failed woefully in the discharge of their constitutional responsibility”.

Another activist, Roy Oribhabor, said “This is a product of frustration; this is a product of deprivation. This is a product of hunger; you can now see poverty, hunger walking physically on the streets of Nigeria, and we are saying no! Government is too far away from the commoners.”

Commissioner of Police visits
At about 10:44 am, the Commissioner of Police, Funsho Adegboye, visited the protesters where he commended them for the peaceful conduct and urged them to sustain the peaceful atmosphere as he promised to supply them water and snacks.

He said “This is what I have been saying that this protest must be peaceful. Like I have said, to protest is your fundamental human right that nobody can take away from you; but I am impressed by what you have done. Edo State should be the model for other states to copy. All our men that are here, are here to protect you, and I am supporting this peaceful exercise with water and some snacks for you.”

Pockets of violence in the outskirts
It was however a different ball game outside the capital city as some suspected miscreants breached security and hijacked the protest, especially along the Benin – Lagos Expressway by Ekiadolor junction, Ovia North-East local government area, where motorists and commuters were extorted before being allowed to proceed on their journey and attacked if they failed to play ball. Truck drivers who failed to part with money had the windscreens and side mirrors of their vehicles smashed by the hoodlums who had barricaded some portions of the road as early as 6 to 7 am. The intervention of security operatives, however, restored a semblance of normalcy as the hoodlums fled.

In the Country Home Hotel Road area, Off Sapele Road, some suspected hoodlums mounted a bonfire as early as 6:30 am and were collecting ₦500 from those who want to cross into the town. Similar experiences happened in Okagbare, Ikueniro, Upper Mission Road, and others. At Iduowina behind Bethel Faith Academy, a trailer load of rice allegedly belonging to the state government, was looted.

At Upper Sokponba, youths, as early as 7.00 am, blocked the roads playing football at the centre of the road with occasional interjection from vehicles which were promptly searched to ensure they were not carrying passengers.

The youths, chanting “Tinubu must go”, “We dey hungry”, among others, said that Tinubu’s administration must end poverty and hunger or go if he does not have solution to Nigeria’s problems.