CHRICED hails Oba Ewuare II for rejecting the Iyaloja title, calling his stance a bold defence of Benin tradition and indigenous governance

CHRICED hails Oba Ewuare II for what it described as a bold and principled defence of Benin culture following the monarch’s rejection of an attempt to impose the Iyaloja structure on Edo State markets.

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The Centre for Human Rights and Civic Education (CHRICED), in a statement signed by its Executive Director, Dr Ibrahim M. Zikirullahi, commended the Oba of Benin for “his courageous and culturally grounded response” to what it termed an “alien imposition.”

The group said the monarch’s decision marked “a pivotal moment in the defence of indigenous governance and democratic accountability in Nigeria.”

According to CHRICED, the proposal led by Mrs Folashade Tinubu-Ojo, seeking to install Pastor Josephine Ivbazebule as Iyaloja of all Edo markets, was an attempt “to transplant a Lagos-Yoruba-rooted title into the sacred commercial spaces of the Benin Kingdom, disregarding centuries of tradition and spiritual order.”

Dr Zikirullahi lauded Oba Ewuare II for reaffirming that Benin markets are traditionally governed by the Iyeki leaders selected by traders and confirmed by the palace.

“Oba Ewuare II’s response was clear, courageous, and culturally grounded. He reaffirmed that the Iyeki are not mere administrators but custodians of sacred shrines and emissaries of the Oba’s spiritual authority,” the statement read.

CHRICED noted that, unlike the Iyaloja-General system common in the South-West, especially Lagos, the Benin model is decentralised, based on communal consensus and spiritual stewardship.

“To undermine this system is to desecrate the very identity of the Benin people,” the rights group warned, urging respect for the cultural and spiritual sovereignty of traditional institutions.

CHRICED further called on political actors to desist from imposing external cultural frameworks on indigenous communities, saying such acts threaten Nigeria’s plural heritage.

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The group reaffirmed its support for the Oba’s stance, describing it as a significant stand for cultural dignity, self-determination, and the preservation of ancestral values.