AREF dismisses missing claims, says Opral Benson safe in Liberia

The African Refugees Foundation (AREF) has dismissed reports that Chief (Mrs) Opral Benson, the Iya Oge of Lagos, is missing, stating that she is alive, safe and currently in Liberia.

AREF made the clarification on Tuesday following widespread concern triggered by earlier claims from members of her family that the 90-year-old socialite had gone missing after she was last seen on January 13.

In a statement signed by the Chief Executive Officer of AREF, Olujimi Olusola III, the organisation said Chief Benson’s presence in Liberia was voluntary and well known, adding that there was no cause for alarm.

The foundation urged members of the public and media organisations to disregard what it described as false and misleading reports, warning against the spread of unverified information capable of causing unnecessary panic. “AREF confirms that Mrs Benson is currently in Liberia. Her presence there is voluntary and known. She is hale and hearty,” the statement read.

AREF also reaffirmed its commitment to promoting accurate information and protecting the dignity of individuals under its care.

Chief Benson, born on February 7, 1935, is an American-Liberian and Nigerian entrepreneur and socialite who holds the traditional chieftaincy title of Iya Oge of Lagos.

She has had a distinguished career spanning education, fashion and corporate administration, having served as a university administrator and director of Johnson’s Products, the Nigerian affiliate of the multinational brand.

She is the founder of a fashion and beauty school in Lagos and was appointed honorary consul of Liberia in Lagos in 2012. Chief Benson was married to former Minister of Information, Broadcasting and Culture, Chief Theophilus Benson, from 1962 until his death.