Residents of Abeokuta, Akure and Benin City, on Tuesday, expressed their anger in protests that paralysed socio-economic activities in Abeokuta and on the Benin-Ore highway.

They protested the prolonged naira and fuel crisis facing the nation.

The PUNCH reported that irate youths shut down many parts of Ogun State capital as banks abruptly closed their gates to avoid the ire of the people.

The protest reportedly started at the Asero area of Abeokuta, following the inability of GTB customers to get the new naira notes.

The protesters who made bonfires, blocked the roads to Adatan and Osiele-Ibadan.

The riot subsequently escalated and spread to Adatan, Sapon ,Oke-Ilewo, Lafenwa, Gbonagun, Obantoko and other parts of the capital.

Some bank officials were seen fleeing their premises at Oke-Ilewo and Panseke.

Also, some protesters destroyed an ATM at a branch of First Bank at Lafenwa.

Schools were closed following the confusion while a secondary school at Gbonagun, Obantoko, was reportedly attacked.

A teacher, who spoke on the condition of anonymity said a tear gas canister was thrown into the school compound, adding that the pupils were evacuated to safety.

The irate youth were also said to have destroyed all political materials at Oke-Ilewo.

The youth, who moved on motorcycles, blocked the Lalubu Road and halted vehicular movements.

The Commissioner of Police in Ogun, Lanre Bankole, hurriedly raced to the scene to calm the situation.

The Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, pleaded for calm and asked the people to allow his engagement with the Bankers Forum and the Central Bank to yield fruits.

Speaking during a meeting of the council of Obas, held in Abeokuta shortly after the protest, the governor explained that the CBN was doing its best to arrest the situation.

In the Ondo incident, hundreds of residents stormed the Benin-Ore-Shagamu Expressway at Ore in Odigbo Local Government Area of the state to denounce the naira and fuel scarcity.

They barricaded the highway for hours and sang solidarity songs, a development that caused a heavy traffic logjam on the busy road..

Commenting on the protest, a youth leader, Prince Adeyemi Adebayo, stated, ‘’This peaceful protest is not aimed at destroying properties nor to take lives but it is to express our annoyance to the government of the day that common Nigerians are suffering.

“We can no longer withdraw from the banks. We also pay heavy charges at all PoS and many sleep overnight in banks due to naira scarcity.

Going round all the filling stations for three weeks till date you will discover that members of Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria are selling the product between N400 and N700. We want the government to do something on these issues of general concern.”

Meanwhile, commercial banks in Akure, the Ondo State capital and some other towns did not open to the public on Tuesday for fear of being attacked by the protesters.

A banker, who spoke on condition of anonymity, disclosed that there was a security report about a plot to attack the financial institutions in the state.

‘’When I got to the office today (Tuesday), we were asked not to open the banking hall because of an unfavourable security report,” he said.

In Benin, the Edo Civil Society Group led by Agho Omobude blocked the entrance to the CBN branch in the state over the shortage of naira notes.

As a result of this, vehicles coming into the Ring Road through Akpakpava were forced to go through Igun Street to Sokponba before linking up with the Ring Road.

Omobude alleged that the naira swap policy was a ploy by the CBN governor and the FG to subject the masses to untold hardship.

Speaking after a meeting with the bank officials, the activist stated, ‘’We reached an agreement with the CBN to disburse the smaller denominations across the counter with each customer getting N20,000.

“They also told us that the new notes should be made available and disbursed across the counter and through the Automated Teller Machines in all the banks.’’

They have also agreed to include members of the civil society organisations in the monitoring team set up by the apex bank to ensure monies given to banks are disbursed,” he added.

Meanwhile, The National Association of Nigerian Students, Tuesday, threatened a nationwide protest should the government fail to resolve the fuel and new naira crises.

In a statement signed by the National Secretary General, Usman Kankia, the student body noted that the two issues had resulted in “significant financial difficulties and disrupted the daily lives of students.”

The association said this as protests rocked Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital; Ore in Ondo State and Benin, the Edo State capital.

Lamenting the crises, NAN stated, “The policy is negatively affecting students in areas of transportation, purchase of academic materials and the day to day activities of the students.

“We have it on good authority that students are forced to sleep on empty stomach through no fault of theirs as they cannot cope with the long queues,” NANS said in the statement.

It vowed to mobilise students for a nationwide protest should the government fail to do the “needful”.

The statement added, “The CBN’s new currency swap policy has caused widespread confusion and frustration, with students facing long lines at banks and difficulty in accessing their funds. The fuel scarcity crisis has further

compounded these problems, leading to increased transportation costs and difficulties in accessing basic necessities.

“NANS calls on the CBN and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited to resolve these issues within the shortest period of time or face the realities of mass protest from students.”

Credit: Punch