Chaos erupted on Sunday when a private exhibition at the Museum of West African Art (MOWAA) was disrupted by a group of thugs.

The exhibition, meant for investors, artists, and international guests, was being prepared for the museum’s official commissioning on November 11, 2025.
According to videos circulating online, the intruders, identifying themselves as sons and daughters of the Benin Kingdom, chanted slogans opposing the museum.

They claimed their protest was aimed at protecting the cultural heritage of Benin and insisted their actions were peaceful.
In response, the Edo Police Command deployed officers to restore order and safely evacuate expatriates and guests from the venue.

ASP Eno Ikoedem, Deputy Police Public Relations Officer, said, “Operatives of the command went to the scene to restore normalcy and safely evacuate the expatriates to their respective hotels. The intervention was not a forceful eviction.”

She added that intelligence had been received regarding the planned protest, prompting security deployment to prevent any breakdown of law and order.
The Commissioner of Police, CP Monday Agbonika, addressed the protesters, helping to de-escalate the situation.

Efforts to obtain a comment from MOWAA representatives were unsuccessful as calls were not answered at press time.
The police assured that normalcy was restored and the guests were safely evacuated without incident.
Meanwhile, operatives of the Edo State Police Command have rescued seven kidnapped victims in Ewohimi, Esan South-East Local Government Area of the state.

The Command’s deputy Police Public Relations Officer, Emem Ikoedem, disclosed this on Saturday in a statement made available to newsmen in Benin.

She said the victims were abducted in the Ikeken Forest, where they had gone to farm, by armed men suspected to be kidnappers.

The statement reads, “The Edo State Police Command has recorded another major breakthrough in its relentless onslaught against kidnapping and violent crimes in the State, as operatives of the Command have successfully rescued seven kidnapped victims in Ewohimi, Esan South-East Local Government Area of Edo State.

“The incident occurred on Saturday, 1st November 2025, when one Enoch Omozokpia of Ikeken Ewohimi reported that his father, William Omozokpia (65 years), who went to his farm in the Ikeken Forest, was abducted by armed men suspected to be kidnappers alongside six others.”

She stated that the Commissioner of Police, Edo State Command, CP Monday Agbonika, commended the gallantry and professionalism displayed by the Police operatives, soldiers, and vigilantes who participated in the rescue operation.

Ikoedem reaffirmed the Command’s unwavering commitment to the safety of all residents and assured that efforts are ongoing to track down the fleeing suspects and bring them to justice.