Last week in Benin City, a violent new Naira protest broke out over the lack of new naira notes or any kind of acceptable cash. A few people lost their lives, banks were destroyed and the whole city was thrown into chaos.
We have an eyewitness account of the frightening experience. Read below:
It Was a Riot, Not a Protest.
On that fateful Wednesday, my younger sister had gone to our shop on Lagos Street at 8 a.m. I was to leave and join her at 9 a.m. However, when I got to the bus stop at Ogida Barracks Junction, I saw that the whole place was in chaos. There were no buses going to Ring Road, tires were being burnt and the POS stands at the junction were up in flames. The scene looked chaotic with black smoke and fire everywhere.
Bank Destroyed
I decided to walk down since I couldn’t get a bus. On my way to Ring Road, I saw that the rioters were destroying the Eco Bank along the road. They were throwing stones and hard substances at the building. The vandals had destroyed ATMs and were throwing all kinds of things into the building. I did my best to evade the vandals.
Makeshift Tollgate
At this point, I’m at Textile Mill Junction. Different thugs had blocked the road and were extorting motorists to let them pass. It was sort of a makeshift toll that these thuggish elements had put on the road to get whatever they could.
Chaos Erupted
I was already on the other side of 10 a.m. and just getting close to Ring Road; at Mobile precisely. I started seeing frantic people running towards my direction. Immediately, my eyes started tearing up and I realized teargas must have been released. As I said, people were running in all directions, some were tripping in their attempt to get away, and some were destroying properties, even in the chaos.
Shots Fired
There were some people bearing arms for no apparent reason. I think that’s when I started hearing gunshots. Soon after, I passed Oba Market and saw that banks had been destroyed. I was on Lagos Street when I heard someone was shot.
I believe the shooting happened around CBN at Akpakpava. There were rioters trying to destroy the Central Bank and the officers guarding the place started firing shots. One of these shots hit one of the rioters and that saw a lot of people running for their lives in all directions.
Once I got to my shop, I started to close up. I saw a group of boys carrying the corpse of the person in a wheelbarrow. They pushed this wheelbarrow and announced it. Things began to die down soon after and everyone found their way back to their homes.
Did you experience the new naira protest last week? Let us know what you saw in the comments.
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