By Monday OISE
BENIN CITY- Three persons have been feared dead on Wednesday in Benin City following the spontaneous protest that engulfed several parts of city as result of the outright rejection of the old currency by some banks,traders and the scarcity of new redesigned naira notes by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) .
The protesters who blocked Ring Road, Akpakpava Road, Mission Road,Ramat Park, Five Junction by Urubi, Ugbowo road, Ekehuan road and the adjoining streets in Benin City causing heavy traffic gridlock as the people scampered to get away from the protesters.
The angry protesters who made burn fires on these roads , attacked First Bank, GTB bank, UBA, Eco Bank, Zenith Bank, Access Bank all in Benin City
The protesters, despite the presence of the security personnel, regrouped and became more violent leading to the alleged killings of three persons by security operatives
Speaking to RuralUrbanNews correspondence at the scene of the protest, a protester who pleaded anonymity, said he was so frustrated when he went out to buy things with his old naira notes but was told by the seller that the old naira notes were no longer acceptable in the country.
“The problem being faced now is that the banks are not accepting deposit old naira notes,the traders as well are are not accepting it and even the bus drivers are also rejecting it ,it is confusing,”
“Look, all these money in my hands are now wasted. We can’t even board vehicle now. We need our old money back. I am going to Upper Sakponba and I want to trek to the place now, no money” he said
Other respondence, said the situation has gotten out of hand and called for the immediate solution to the problem before it will degenerate to something else ,geting food from the markets now is worst off ,the federal government should come up with a prompt solution before it will escalate to fill scale anarchy
“What we see in this place now is very typical for us. We are passing through a difficult times. We don’t know where we are going or where we are coming from.
For Madam Tracy Omono a trader said , she went to the CBN along Akpakpava Road to deposit her old naira notes but she and others were driven out by security agents attached to the bank.
“It is frustrating. We did not see new money and we didn’t see old money. The little ones we have, you said deadline and now that we want to return it, the CBN said no way .
“It feels that the government is bent on frustrating Nigerians on a daily basis. I want to buy pure water, we I make a transfer of N10 to the seller and if the person accepts, what about the internet issues?
“People you see protesting, they really don’t want it but they are frustrated, Nigerians are frustrated, they have to stop ,the people that they said they are doing it for, they have banks”.
“So it is the poor masses that are suffering it. We are calling on the Nigerian government to make a fast U-turn before things go over board
“The CBN is no longer accepting the old naira notes. We have been here since morning,they gave us forms to fill and later use the security personnel attached to the bank to ask us to leave. That is why the people got angry”, she said.
Contacting the Public Relations Officer of the Edo State Police Command, SP Chidi Nwabuzor for comment on the number of deaths resulting from the protest, he said it was too early for him to speak on the subject matter.
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