By Isaac Eranga
UGBOHA, EDO STATE — The rhythmic thud of cassava being processed into garri is the traditional heartbeat of Ugboha, an agrarian stronghold in Esan South-East. But today, that heartbeat is erratic, punctuated by the silence of empty barns and the cries of women who have turned their grief into a peaceful, yet piercing, protest.
As a sea of women, led by Dr. Mrs. Louisa Eikhomun-Agbonkhese, marched to the palace of the Onojie of Ugboha, HRH Stephen Eidenojie Ukato II, they brought with them a desperate list of demands: protection from terror groups, the reclamation of their ancestral lands, and immediate compensation for female victims of violence.
Yet, as these women plead for their lives and livelihoods, a critical document that could address their very plight sits gathering dust in Benin City. As of April 2026, the State Action Plan (SAP) on Women, Peace, and Security (WPS)—the domestication of UN Security Council Resolution 1325—remains unsigned on the desk of Governor Monday Okpebholo.
The Terror in the Trees
For the people of Ugboha, the bush is no longer a source of life; it has become a “conquered territory” occupied by Fulani terrorists and killer herders. The transition from herder-farmer clashes to systemic terror has left the community in a state of economic and physical siege.
”Ugboha women are being made widows; children are being made fatherless and mothers childless,” Dr. Eikhomun-Agbonkhese lamented. She detailed a grim cycle where kidnapping for ransom has forced families into lifelong debt, and the fear of murder has made the forests inaccessible during the vital new farming season.
The women are demanding the establishment of an Edo State Agency for Victims of Terror Attacks—a proactive move to provide financial restitution for destroyed crops and broken lives.
The Policy Bottleneck: A “Silent Stalemate”
The tragedy in Ugboha highlights a glaring policy vacuum. The unsigned WPS Action Plan is not just an administrative formality; it is the missing link between the women’s suffering and the state’s protection.
According to reports from the Journalists for Peace Network, the “Edo Delay” is a missed opportunity for state-wide stability. If signed, the WPS framework would provide:
Proactive Mediation: Moving from reactive policing to community-led peacebuilding involving women.
Economic Resilience: Formalizing the security of environments where women trade and farm.
Justice Reform: Providing a legal mandate for the very compensation and gender-responsive justice the Ugboha women are seeking.
While neighboring states like Delta, Kogi, and even Niger State (as of March 31, 2026) have institutionalized these frameworks, Edo State remains in a strategic holding pattern.
Asphalt vs. Human Security
Governor Okpebholo’s administration has been defined by his “Renewed Hope” agenda, often marked by his intolerance for “unnecessary delays” regarding road construction and infrastructure. In January 2026, he famously warned contractors that “there is no time to waste.”
However, the women of Ugboha are asking why that same urgency isn’t applied to their lives. The ongoing delay in signing the WPS Action Plan suggests a government valuing physical structures over the social fabric. As one advocate from the Journalists for Peace Network put it: “A promise without a timeline is merely a platitude.”
The Broken Link
The irony of the situation is palpable. On March 4, 2026, the West Africa Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP-Nigeria) held high-level talks with the Office of the First Lady, Mrs. Okpebholo Anani, who promised to ensure the document was signed into reality.
Yet, as April progresses and the farming season in Esan land hangs in the balance, the signature is still missing.
Responding to the protesters, the Onojie of Ugboha promised to carry their message to the state government. But as the widows of Ugboha look toward their empty barns and debt-ridden futures, they are no longer interested in “reaffirmations of commitment.”
The women of Edo are watching. They are demanding that Governor Okpebholo move beyond the rhetoric of infrastructure and sign the WPS Action Plan. The safety of the citizens who walk the roads is just as important as the kilometers of asphalt paved. Until that document is signed, the “Heartbeat of the Nation” remains at risk of a total cardiac arrest in its rural communities.