Activities across Ibadan, Oyo State capital have been crippled by youths protesting against the petroleum scarcity, cash crunch, and other hardships currently being experienced by Nigerians across the country.
The irate youths while expressing their grievances over the developments in the country attacked the Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde’s office in Agodi area, a tanker, and a commercial bank and set up a burnfire on major expressways including Iwo road.
The demonstration which started peacefully on Friday, over the scarcity of new naira notes, which has been a subject of discussion across major towns and cities in Nigeria, took another dimension when many of the commercial banks could not dispense money to their customers.
Dissatisfied with the situation, the youths, armed with several placards, stormed the governor’s office in Agodi and attempted to force their way in but the security agencies manning the entrance prevented looting and vandalism.
Not satisfied that they were prevented, the protesters, according to eyewitnesses, were said to have thrown stones and other dangerous weapons into the governor’s office, vandalizing property within the premises.
The Guild gathered that the demonstration started after customers could not withdraw funds from the banks Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) at various banks in Ibadan could not do so.
A resident of that witnessed the demonstration, narrated that the protesters were protesting their inability to withdraw money from the banks.
“Protests are currently ongoing at Gate and Iwo Road as I speak with you. They are burning tyres now,” he said.
Another resident, who witnessed the protest on Iwo Road, confirmed that the protest was ongoing and that the the youths were desperate to vandalise public facilities.
“Yes. There is a protest here. People are currently protesting at Iwo Road over inability to collect their money from banks,” he also said.
It would be recalled that the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, had a few weeks ago introduced the newly redesigned N200, N500 and N1000 denominations across the country.
The apex bank had also directed commercial banks to fill their Automated Teller Machines, ATMs, with the newly redesigned naira notes.
The CBN also gave 31st January, 2023 as the deadline for the exchange of the old banknotes before extending it till 10th February.
It has also directed commercial banks to pay customers the new naira notes over the counter.
Comments are closed, but trackbacks and pingbacks are open.