Your Excellency 

Women Are Being Groped in Broad Daylight on Benin’s Ring Road — and Nobody’s Stopping It

Benin City, Edo State — Thursday  23rd October 
At the heart of Benin City’s bustling Ring Road, one of the busiest commercial hubs in Southern Nigeria, a disturbing pattern of public harassment has taken root — and it’s happening in plain sight.

According to eyewitness accounts, women are being groped, harassed, and assaulted in broad daylight, often in crowded areas where both police officers and pedestrians look the other way.

“It was around 11 a.m. — broad daylight,” said a witness who described how his partner was suddenly groped by a man while walking past the Ring Road roundabout. “People saw it happen. Police were nearby. Nobody intervened.”

This isn’t an isolated event. Vendors and commuters around the Ring Road corridor have reported similar incidents, particularly near Oba Market and adjacent bus stops. Victims say attackers often escape into the crowd before help can arrive, and law enforcement presence, though visible, rarely leads to arrests.

A Culture of Silence

Human rights groups and women’s advocates in Edo State have long called attention to sexual harassment in public spaces, but the issue remains underreported. Fear of stigma, lack of police responsiveness, and weak enforcement of Nigeria’s Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act (VAPP Act) have contributed to a culture of impunity.

“Public sexual harassment is not a minor offense — it’s assault,” says Osagie Igbinedion, a gender rights advocate based in Benin City. “But because it happens in public, people treat it as a joke or embarrassment rather than a crime. That must change.”

Where Is the Accountability?

Eyewitnesses have alleged that police stationed near Ring Road often fail to act, even when incidents occur within sight of patrol vans or checkpoints. In some cases, bystanders simply walk away, fearing confrontation or police retaliation.

Legal experts emphasize that failure to protect citizens from sexual assault amounts to dereliction of duty.

“If law enforcement officers cannot safeguard women in public spaces, the message is clear — harassment is tolerated,” said Barr. Efe Asemota, a lawyer and human rights advocate.

Call for Action

Residents are now calling on Governor Monday Okpebholo and the Edo State Police Command to take immediate steps to protect women in the city’s commercial districts.
Activists suggest measures such as:

• Installing CCTV surveillance cameras around major intersections like Ring Road.

• Increasing the presence of trained female officers in busy public areas.

• Public education campaigns against harassment.

• Fast-tracking prosecution of offenders under the VAPP Act.

Changing the Narrative

While Ring Road remains a symbol of Benin’s culture and commerce, it is fast becoming a symbol of insecurity for women.

“No woman should fear walking through her city in daylight,” said one advocate. “Benin can and must do better.”

Sources:

• Eyewitness reports, Benin City (2025)

• Edo State Civil Society for Gender Justice

• Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act, 2015

• Interviews with local activists and legal experts

Imagine what happens at Night !

Please Sir Put More Security on Ringroad to Protect Citizens . This has gone on too much ~