The family of Opral Benson, the Iya Oge of Lagos, has dismissed claims that she is missing, saying she is currently out of the country.

A missing person notice released on Sunday had claimed that Benson’s whereabouts had been unknown. It added that she was last seen on January 13 and had not returned home since then.

However, a source close to the family told TheCable Lifestyle on Tuesday that the report was “inaccurate’.

“Mama Opral is in Liberia visiting family. Precious and her Assistant are with her,” the source said.

According to the source, the missing notice may have been issued due to a communication gap within the family, and that the person who circulated the notice may not have been informed of the trip.

The source added that Precious, Benson’s daughter, is currently with her in Liberia, while Bimbo Cardoso, who shared the notice online, is her stepdaughter.

“Bimbo, who put the notice out, has been described as drama queen. Maybe she wasnt told before they left,” the source said.

“Precious is Opral Benson’s daughter. Bimbo Cardoso is a stepdaughter.”

The African Refugees Foundation (AREF) also confirmed that Benson, who serves as its president, is “alive, safe and not missing”.

In a statement, Olujimi Olusola, chief executive officer of AREF, said Benson is “hale and hearty” and there was no cause for concern.

“AREF confirms that Mrs. Benson is currently in Liberia, her presence there is voluntary and known,” the statement reads.

“We urge members of the public, media organizations, and community stakeholders to disregard the false and misleading reports and refrain from spreading unverified information that may cause unnecessary alarm.

“The Foundation remains committed to promoting truth, protecting the dignity of individuals under its care, and ensuring that accurate information is made available to the public.”

Opral Benson, born on February 7, 1935, is an American-Liberian and Nigerian entrepreneur and socialite who holds the chieftaincy title of Iya Oge of Lagos.

She was married to T.O.S. Benson from 1962 until his death and has been active in fashion, beauty, and public service, including serving as Liberia’s honorary consul in Lagos.

Credit: The Cableng

Laolu Akande, former spokesman to ex-Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, has alleged that former President Olusegun Obasanjo played a key role in the decline of party politics in Nigeria.

Akande said Obasanjo taught Nigerians how to use the presidency to subdue party politics in Nigeria.

He disclosed this in an interview on Channels Television’s Inside Sources.


Akande said: “One of the reasons why all of these uninspiring dispensations of party politics are upon us is because the nature of party politics in Nigeria has been heavily devalued, heavily destroyed starting from when former President Olusegun Obasanjo was in office as our civilian leader.

“It was Obasanjo who taught us how to effectively subdue parties and their structures under the presidency.

“Before 1999, we had the SDP and NRC in the Third Republic, and before that, we had political parties in the Second Republic that were strong.

“In both republics, the political parties and their national leaders had some serious cloud over and above presidential candidates and their even the president.

“In Nigeria, it was Obasanjo who changed the dynamics when he was president. The late Chief Audu Ogbe told Obasanjo, ‘I’m not your cook but your party Chairman, so talk to me with respect.’

“Which party Chairman do you think can assert such self do you imagine can assert such self assurance in today’s politics?

“Before then, Obasanjo had dusted Solomon Lar, who was the founding Chairman of PDP in 1999. Whether Obasanjo knew it or not, what he was doing was wrecking party politics in Nigeria. He went on to determine the party candidate for the gubernatorial and presidential elections.”

Former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has charged the Federal Government to treat human lives as sacred.

In a post on his verified X handle on Tuesday, Obi said it was time to confront insecurity in Nigeria.

He was reacting to the alleged abduction of over 100 worshippers from three churches in Kaduna State.

He said, “Nigeria deserves a government that treats human life as sacred, the time to confront this insecurity is now.

“I have just been informed that yet again, at the weekend, about 172 worshippers were abducted from churches in Kaduna. This is yet another unfortunate consequence of a nation where insecurity has been allowed to grow, unchecked and unchallenged in our everyday lives, as though it were normal. This should not be.

“Even with the government and police stating they are not aware of this incident, we must ask ourselves hard questions. Is this how we will continue? Can we keep waking up to news of mass abductions, disputed figures, and official denials while citizens live in fear? Whether confirmed or contested, the frequency of such reports alone shows a greater crisis of safety, leadership, and unity.

“Just recently, other communities in Benue, Zamfara, Kano, Niger and Plateau, have faced similarly gruesome insecurity. Nigeria is not at war, yet here we are again, counting victims with inconsistencies that surpass those of nations at war. A government that can mobilise resources for waste, for propaganda, for foreign lobbyists, but cannot secure communities or protect its people has misplaced its priorities.

“To the people of Kaduna, you are not alone. We stand with you, and to the families whose loved ones were taken, we share in your pain. We pray and hope that those abducted will be found and returned safely, and that those injured in the course of this attack receive swift and full medical recovery.”