Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Gabriel Osa
A visually impaired widow and mother of four, Barrister Benny Francis, has appealed to Governor Monday Okpebholo of Edo State to intervene in a prolonged struggle for justice following the death of her husband and alleged injustices that have left her family struggling to survive. Francis made the appeal on Wednesday during a media briefing at the Nigerian Union of Journalists Secretariat in Benin City, highlighting years of hardship and unresolved grievances with state authorities.
Francis recounted that her husband died on December 11, 2024, after being struck by a bus driver who was reportedly being pursued by members of the Edo State Task Force. She said he was rushed to Edo Specialist Hospital and later referred to the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries the same day. The incident occurred after Francis had already endured significant suffering as a result of an earlier work-related accident that left her blind.
According to Francis, her ordeal began years earlier while executing a contract with the Edo State Oil and Gas Producing Areas Development Commission. She said she was attacked during construction work and lost her sight. Despite assurances from the agency that she would be compensated and supported, those promises were not fulfilled. A court eventually agreed to award her ₦500 million in compensation, but only ₦50 million was offered — an amount she rejected as inadequate and not in line with agreements reached in legal proceedings.
The cumulative effect of these events, Francis said, has been devastating. She explained that she had taken loans to finance the project and, after losing the case’s expected full compensation, went on to lose her home, vehicles, and other assets to creditors. She described her current financial situation as dire, with no means to care for her children.
Speaking to journalists, Francis said she had repeatedly sought a meeting with Governor Okpebholo to present her case personally, but has been unable to secure an audience. She expressed frustration that, although she was initially told the governor was aware of her plight and interested in helping, efforts to gain access to him have been blocked. Francis also said that she was met with evasiveness from officials in the First Lady’s office when attempting to arrange a meeting.
“I have met with the Coordinator of the First Lady, and she was trying to arrange for our meeting with the governor, but … the coordinator didn’t meet with me that day despite the fact that she was the one that asked me to come,” she said, describing doors being “completely shut” thereafter. Francis said she did not understand why her attempts to engage with the state leadership have been thwarted.
In her appeal to Governor Okpebholo, Francis urged the governor, whom she described as a compassionate leader and a father figure to Edo citizens, to intervene in her situation and offer support to her and her children. She dismissed claims by others — including figures linked with the task force — that she and her children had already been compensated, insisting her family’s suffering continues without resolution.
Rights advocates and civil society observers say the widow’s case highlights broader concerns about access to justice and government accountability in handling compensation claims and support for vulnerable citizens. For Francis, whose vision loss has compounded her hardship, the appeal represents both a plea for survival and a demand for fairness in the face of systemic frustration.
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