There is currently a riot in the Odo Eran, Obantoko area of Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, after trigger-happy policemen disrupted and opened fire on a group of disgruntled residents protesting the country’s ravaging fuel and naira note scarcity.
SaharaReporters obtained video showing a police van driving roughly through the area and lawless policemen shooting into the air as protesters fled to safety.
https://twitter.com/SaharaReporters/status/1622947589455855616?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1622947589455855616%7Ctwgr%5E4a462b5b2c52d6e436d87b23b6e6161cc7a590dd%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fsaharareporters.com%2F2023%2F02%2F07%2Fbreaking-lawless-nigerian-police-operatives-open-fire-residents-protesting-fuel-naira
There is concern because several shops have been deserted while lawless policemen have forcibly dispersed the protesters.
WATCH: Flames As Protest Rocks Ogun State’s Capital City, Abeokuta Over Naira Scarcity #NairaScarcity https://t.co/THRddTxqEp pic.twitter.com/eJFeBjv052
— Sahara Reporters (@SaharaReporters) February 7, 2023
It was previously reported that angry Nigerians also blocked the Benin-Ore Highway in Ondo State to express their displeasure with the nation’s naira note shortage and fuel scarcity.
Travelers on the route were stranded due to the protest that caused gridlock.
A cross-section of the protesters blamed their actions on the frustrations they were experiencing in banks and gas stations.
Protesters defied police presence as they marched along the highway, according to videos
This comes less than a day after the Ondo State Police Command warned residents not to stage protests.
The police command issued the warning in response to residents’ plans to stage a protest against the country’s chronic shortage of fuel and naira notes.
The warning was issued by the state’s Commissioner of Police, Oyeyemi Oyediran.
Oyediran stated that the Command is aware of the residents’ plans to stage a protest in order to vent their rage.
He did, however, urge residents of the state to refrain from engaging in such activities.
Oyediran stated that security agents had been notified in order to ensure the safety of residents and apprehend lawbreakers.