Some residents of Benin, the Edo State capital, on Wednesday blocked the ever-busy Uselu-Lagos expressway in the Ovia North East Local Government Area of the state to protest the scarcity of the new naira notes.
metrowatchxtra.com reports that a similar protest rocked the city recently, where the protesters equally protested against fuel scarcity and price hike, which led to the set up of a special Petrol Monitoring Committee by the Edo state government.
Today’s protest has caused serious gridlock in the Ugbowo area near the University of Benin, while people coming into and exiting the city have been prevented from heading to their destinations.
Residents who had been going to banks for cash withdrawal, said they could not access their money.
They were said to have become agitated when the commercial banks refused to accept the old naira notes as deposits.
With road blocks and bonfires on the road, the protesters castigated the President Muhammadu Buhari-led government, accusing the All Progressives Congress (APC) of inflicting hardship on the masses.
Thousands of residents and motorists were surprised to discover that the major road had been blocked by the angry protesters.
The Uselu-Lagos expressway is a major federal road that leads Benin City to Ondo, Lagos and other South Western cities and others from one end.
The blockage of the road has resulted into heavy traffic in Ugbowo and adjourning areas.
Our correspondent’s checks revealed that motorists have been turning back while some schoolchildren hurriedly return home for fear of being attacked.
As at the time of filing this report, police officers from the BDPA police division have been stationed to the area to prevent breakdown of law and order.
