The family of Chief Opral Benson, the revered Iya Oge of Lagos and one of Nigeria’s most recognisable social figures, has declared her missing, sparking deep concern across Lagos high society and beyond.

In a public notice circulated by her family, they disclosed that the 90-year-old matriarch was last seen on January 13, 2026, and has not returned home since. Her disappearance has been described as deeply distressing and time-sensitive, with relatives, friends, and associates now appealing to the public for urgent assistance.

The family’s statement reads in part that Mama Opral Benson has been missing since Tuesday, January 13, 2026. She has not returned home and her current whereabouts are unknown. The notice urges anyone who may have seen her or who has any information, no matter how seemingly insignificant, to come forward immediately.

Members of the public have been asked to call 08037039214 or report directly to the nearest police station. The family emphasised that the matter is time-sensitive and called on Nigerians to share the information widely to help locate her as quickly as possible.

Chief Opral Benson’s disappearance has sent shockwaves through Lagos, where she has long been regarded as a cultural icon, fashion authority, and a bridge between generations of social and business elites. Her title, Iya Oge of Lagos, is one of the most prominent social chieftaincy titles in the state, traditionally bestowed on a woman who embodies elegance, influence, and leadership in society.

Born on February 7, 1935, Opral Benson is of American-Liberian and Nigerian heritage. Over the decades, she built a formidable reputation as an entrepreneur, educator, and socialite. She is widely known for her work in grooming, etiquette, and personal development, and for her role in shaping standards of style and public comportment among Nigeria’s emerging middle and upper classes.

Her career has spanned education, fashion, and corporate administration. She was associated with several institutions and initiatives focused on training young women and men in poise, presentation, and professional conduct. Through these efforts, she became a mentor to many, particularly in Lagos, where her finishing and grooming programmes were seen as a pathway into corporate and social circles.

Beyond her professional life, Chief Benson’s personal story is closely intertwined with Nigeria’s post-independence history. She was married to Chief Theophilus Owolabi Shobowale Benson, popularly known as T.O.S. Benson, a prominent nationalist and the country’s first Minister of Information, Broadcasting and Culture in the first post-independence government. The couple married in 1962 and remained together until his death in 2008.

T.O.S. Benson was a towering figure in Nigerian politics and public life, and their home in Lagos was for many years a gathering point for politicians, diplomats, business leaders, and cultural figures. As his wife, Opral Benson played a visible and active role in social and civic life, hosting events, supporting charitable causes, and representing Lagos society at national and international functions.

Over time, she carved out her own distinct identity, separate from her husband’s political legacy. Her embrace of fashion and grooming as serious, structured fields of endeavour helped professionalise what had often been dismissed as mere social activity. She became a reference point for elegance and comportment, and her name was frequently associated with Lagos high fashion, charity balls, and cultural events.

Her conferment as Iya Oge of Lagos further cemented that status. The title, rooted in Yoruba tradition, is reserved for a woman who not only dresses with distinction but also commands respect, exercises influence, and contributes meaningfully to the community. In that role, Chief Benson was often seen at major traditional ceremonies, state functions, and social gatherings, representing both the old Lagos elite and a more cosmopolitan, modern Nigeria.

News of her disappearance has prompted an outpouring of concern from across the country and the diaspora. Many who encountered her in educational, corporate, or social settings have taken to various platforms to share memories of her grace, discipline, and insistence on high standards. Former students and associates recall her as firm but nurturing, someone who believed that how a person presented themselves could open or close doors in life.

Security sources in Lagos say the family’s report has been formally lodged with law enforcement, and that efforts are underway to trace her movements from the last day she was seen. While specific operational details have not been made public, investigators are expected to review recent contacts, possible travel routes, and any available surveillance footage in the vicinity of her residence and usual areas of activity.

Family members, however, are focusing their immediate efforts on public awareness. They have appealed to neighbours, drivers, domestic workers, shop owners, and passersby who may have seen her on or after January 13 to come forward. Even small details, they stress, could help reconstruct her last known movements and provide crucial leads.

Community leaders in Lagos Island and other parts of the city where she has longstanding ties have also been urged to mobilise local networks. Religious institutions, social clubs, and professional associations with which she has been affiliated are being encouraged to circulate her details and the family’s contact information.

For many Lagosians, the situation is particularly painful because of Chief Benson’s age and stature. At 90, she is regarded as a living repository of social history, having witnessed and participated in the transformation of Lagos from a colonial-era port city into a sprawling, modern megacity. Her absence is felt not only as a personal loss to her family but as a symbolic rupture in the continuity of Lagos’s cultural memory.

As the search continues, the family has reiterated its plea: anyone with information, no matter how minor it may seem, should call 08037039214 or report to the nearest police station. They have also asked the public to refrain from spreading unverified rumours, urging instead that all credible information be directed to the appropriate channels to aid the investigation.

Until more is known about her whereabouts, concern for the Iya Oge of Lagos is likely to remain high. For now, her family, friends, and admirers across Nigeria and beyond are united in a single hope: that Chief Opral Benson will be found safe and returned home.