By Abdulraheem Kawthar Adenike | Fact Frontier.
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Protesting youths in Edo State, on Wednesday, April 1, 2026, completely shut down a major section of the busy Benin–Lagos Expressway, leaving thousands of commuters stranded for several hours. The action, which began in the early morning, was a direct response to what the protesters described as “unbearable economic hardship,” including skyrocketing food prices and mass unemployment across Nigeria.
The demonstrators, predominantly young men and women, gathered near the University of Benin (UNIBEN) axis of the federal highway. Using bonfires, stones, heavy logs, and old car tyres, they blocked both lanes of the expressway, bringing vehicular movement to a grinding halt. Long queues of passenger buses, lorries, and private vehicles stretched for kilometres in both directions as angry drivers and travellers were forced to wait or turn back.
Chanting solidarity songs and carrying placards with messages such as “Hunger is Killing Us,” “End the Suffering,” and “Jobs Not Promises,” the youths vented their frustration over the deteriorating standard of living. “We can no longer afford a bag of rice, let alone pay our rent,” said Eromosele Okafor, a 24-year-old graduate who participated in the blockade. “The government keeps talking, but food prices go up every single day. We are tired of surviving on air.”
The protest quickly disrupted economic activities in and around the state capital. Many traders who rely on the expressway to transport farm produce and goods to Lagos and other southwestern states reported heavy losses. Several passengers were seen disembarking from stuck buses and attempting to walk to nearby villages to find alternative routes.
Witnesses told our correspondent that the situation turned tense when security forces, including personnel from the Edo State Police Command, arrived at the scene. Officers fired teargas canisters to disperse the crowd and began clearing the barricades. While no fatalities were immediately reported, some protesters sustained minor injuries in the ensuing scuffle. The police have since reinforced their presence in the Benin metropolis, warning that further unlawful assemblies would not be tolerated.
The blockade on the Benin–Lagos Expressway marks one of the most significant youth-led protests in the South-South region this year, reflecting a growing wave of discontent over Nigeria’s cost-of-living crisis. As of Wednesday evening, the highway had been partially reopened, but authorities remain on high alert for potential reprisal actions.
Efforts to reach the Edo State Government spokesperson for comment were unsuccessful at the time of filing this report. However, a senior government official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the administration was “aware of the grievances” and would continue to implement palliative measures.
For now, commuters are advised to use alternative routes, while civil society groups have called for an urgent dialogue to prevent a recurrence of the shutdown.
