Iyanomon Women Lead Peace Drive to End Community Clash for a Safe Return Home

Iyanomon Women Lead Peace Drive to End Community Clash for a Safe Return Home

Habiba Sam

The women of Iyanomon Community in Ikpoba Okha Local Government Area of Edo State have taken the lead in the fight for peace, staging a solemn protest to draw government attention to months of recurring youth clashes that have torn their neighbourhood apart.

Displaced from their homes and livelihoods, the women, joined by other affected residents, marched through the community with one unified demand: restore calm, reconcile the warring factions, and allow families to return and rebuild.

Speaking for the group, Mrs. Aiwekhoe Omon said the latest flare-up had not claimed lives, but had left deep psychological scars as residents lived in constant fear of gunshots and loud explosions.

“We are crying out for peace. The government should bring the two sides to a table and settle this matter finally. We, the women and children, are the ones bearing the pain,” she said.

Mrs. Omon explained that the underlying disagreement is already before the palace and in court, yet the standoff continues to keep the community on edge and force residents into exile.

Another protester, Mrs. Gift Ewen, painted a grim picture of life outside Iyanomon. She said the protracted insecurity had opened the door for crime, including kidnapping, and had compelled many households to flee.

“For one full year now, I have been squatting as a tenant because my community is not safe. We abandoned our houses to escape the violence,” she said.

Her anguish deepened as she recounted the loss of her trade: “They burnt down my two shops,the source of my daily bread. We have nothing left. If we go back now, we will be starting life all over again,” she lamented.

The women further alleged that empty homes had become targets for looters. With families gone, doors, fittings, and other household valuables were reportedly stripped by unidentified persons.

The protesters stressed that their march was not about taking sides, but about survival. 

“We are not for one group or the other. All we want is peace so we can return to our houses and restore our lives,” one of the women declared.

They called on the Edo State Government and security agencies to act swiftly, broker reconciliation between the feuding youths, and create conditions safe enough for displaced residents to come home.

The women also warned that if urgent steps are not taken, the humanitarian and security situation in Iyanomon could worsen further.

The Secretary of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Edo State Council, Mr. Andy Egbon, who represented the Chairman, Dr. Festus Alenkhe, addressed the protesters. He sympathized with them over the destruction caused by the crisis.

Mr. Egbon commended the women for maintaining a peaceful protest and advised them to formally notify the appropriate authorities to ensure prompt government action.

With mothers and market women at the forefront, the Iyanomon protest has shifted the narrative,from youth unrest to a community-wide call for healing, led by the very people most affected by the breakdown of peace.