…As one person shot
Laide Raheem, Abeokuta
Protesters on Tuesday trooped out in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, to protest the cash crunch as a result of the new naira notes swap.
The protesters who protested in locations such as Sapon, Asero, Panseke and Oke Ilewo in the Abeokuta metropolis, forced banks, schools and commercial centres to hurriedly shut down operations.
The protests, which started from the GTB branch at Asero when the bank customers began agitations over their inability to withdraw cash, was so intense in the Sapon Area where the ATM terminal belonging to a first generation bank was smashed, while some vehicles were vandalized in the process
The state governor, Dapo Abiodun, had on Monday, after his meeting the CBN, Abeokuta Branch and Bankers Committee, appealed to the residents, particularly the youth, not to embark on any civil unrest, noting such actions would only shut down the economy of the state and make things much more difficult.
But the protesters, mainly youths, took to the streets to vent their anger over the cash crunch necessitated by the new naira notes swaps, less than 24 hours after the governor’s appeal.
Bank officials in the locations of the protests were seen rushing out from their offices for fear of being mobbed by the irate protesters.
While parents were sighted in a frenetic rush to pick their children from schools, motorists were also seen clipping green leaves on their vehicles.
Daily Sun gathered that some agitated residents set some areas in Sapon, Adatan, Asero ablaze, protesting the scarcity of the new naira notes.
It was also learnt that a.private school in Abeokuta sent a distress call parents alleging that some police officers had fired tear-gas carnister into the school premises during the protest.
As at the time of filing this report, normalcy has been restored in some of the locations of the protests as policemen were deployed to prevent total breakdown of law and order.
Meanwhile, a viral video on some social platforms indicated that a male protester was allegedly shot and wounded by the police.
In the 15-second video, the protester was seen clutching his arm soaked in blood and staggering across a drainage.
He was later rescued by the people, while the voice at the background of the video was heard to be saying that an innocent person has been shot
When contacted on the phone, the spokesperson of the police command in Ogun State, Abimbola Oyeyemi, said that the protest was being brought under control.
He said no life was lost during the protest, but couldn’t confirm the level of vandalization of property by the protesters.
Oyeyemi, however, promised to give an update on the protests, declaring all efforts would be made by the police to ensure normalcy returns to the capital city.
On the viral video, the PPRO said investigation was ongoing, on the circumstances surrounding the person shot, as it could be ascertained immediately who fired the shot.
He, however, said the victim was taken to the Federal Medical Centre, Idi Aba, Abeokuta, where he was treated and was responding to treatment.
Abimbola added that the Commissioner of Police in the state also visited the victim at the hospital, noting that it would be known whether it was police that fired the shot when the bullet is
lated extracted from the victim.
