Tension flared in Edo State on Tuesday as aggrieved youths took to the streets, barricading a section of the busy Benin–Lagos Expressway near the University of Benin (UNIBEN), Ugbowo Campus, in protest against worsening economic hardship and what they described as “disconnected political promises.”
The demonstrators, mostly young people, halted traffic for hours, leaving commuters and motorists stranded as they blocked key sections of the highway to draw attention to their grievances.
Eyewitnesses said the protest quickly gained momentum as more youths joined, chanting slogans and demanding urgent government intervention to address rising food prices, unemployment, and the general cost of living crisis biting hard across the country.
The protest comes against the backdrop of recent political declarations by Edo State APC leadership, including party chairman Emperor Jarrett Tenebe, who had vowed that the state would deliver as much as 3.5 million votes to President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election, a claim that has since stirred debate given the state’s voting statistics and current economic realities.
Observers note that the protest mirrors growing discontent nationwide, where economic reforms, fuel price adjustments, and inflationary pressures have continued to strain household incomes.
As of the time of filing this report, there was no official statement from state authorities, while security presence in the area was being reinforced to prevent escalation of the protest in Benin.
