Naira, Fuel Scarcity: Ogun Youths Attack Banks As Protests Escalate

Palpable fear has enveloped residents and traders of Abeokuta, the Ogun state capital, as irate youths staged violent protests in many parts of the state capital.

The protest reportedly started at Asero, Abeokuta, on Tuesday,  by some customers of GTBank over their inability to get new naira notes from the bank.

The protesters who made bonfires on the roads blocked the road that leads to Adatan and Osiele-Ibadan during the protest.

The development also escalated and spread to Adatan, Sapon, Oke-Ilewo, Lafenwa among others.

The state Commissioner of Police, Lanre Bankole, hurriedly raced to the scene to calm the situation which forced the bank officials to suspend their service.

Our correspondent gathered that simultaneous reactions occurred as another set of irate youths went to Sapon, Lafenwa, Adatan, Gbonagun Obantoko and protested.

A  bank in Sapon abruptly terminated its service to avoid being attacked while banks at Oke-Ilewo and Panseke also closed their offices before the angry youths pounce on them.

Some banks’ staff at Oke-Ilewo and Panseke were seen rushing out of the premises and left.

The youths later arrived at Oke-Ilewo and destroyed all political materials hanging on the street lights. The youths who moved on motorcycles also blocked the Lalubu road during the protest, halting the free flow of vehicular movements.

They made bonfires in other places while policemen were nowhere to be found until after the angry youths had left the scene.

Also, some protesters stormed a branch of First Bank at  Lafenwa, Abeokuta and destroyed the Automobile Teller Machine in the bank.

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

A teacher at the school who pleaded anonymity said a tear gas canister was thrown into the school compound.

She said the teachers had to hurriedly evacuate the pupils to a safer place.