Abeokuta Erupts As Irate Youths Block Major Roads, Set Up Bonfire Over Scarcity Of New Naira Notes, Fuel

By Akinwale Kasali

There is palpable tension in Abeokuta, Ogun State, as irate youths have set up bonfires on major roads in the State and blocked the roads. Vehicular movements are halted.

Oke Ilewo, the commercial hub of the State, Sapon and Obantoko area of the State Capital are presently a no- go area as Security Agents have been shooting sporadically into the air to disperse irate youths whose bitter complain is the  sufferings they are going through over the scarcity of the New Naira Notes and Fuel.

There is also an ongoing protest at the front of Guaranty Trust Bank in Asero, Obantoko, Area of the State over the inability to withdraw Old and New Naira Notes from their Automated Teller Machine, ATM, and also at the Counter in the Banks.

Police are, however,  on ground to calm the situation.

In a chat with some of the aggrieved youths who had set up the bonfire and blockade of the roads, they lamented that they are unable to withdraw money from the ATM and also from POS Operators as they are charged exorbitant prices.

They lamented that to withdraw N1000 from a POS Operator, they are charged between N300 to N400, while to collect N5,000 they are charged N1000.

Expressing their grievances further, they lamented that to withdraw N10,000 they are charged between N2,500 to N3,000 which is unacceptable leading to stage this protest/

Some Women who had scampered for safety as a result of the crisis that emanated at First Bank in Sapon area in the State, said that they had slept at the ATM point in other to withdraw early in the morning if the Bank Officials had put money in the ATM Machine, unfortunately, they had been left waiting till now before the irate youths got annoyed and set a bonfire in front of the Bank.

One of the women who pleaded anonymity said the suffering is too much and getting out of hand, as his Children had not eaten since yesterday due to her inability to have access to her money in the Bank and also that she cannot pay the exorbitant charges by POS Operators.

“It is so disheartening as we haven’t had it this bad. The nation is in shambles and anarchy is looming if it is not addressed in earnest. How can we be using money to buy money?

“This is real suffering. We can’t have access to our money, no fuel and we are saying we have a Government is so sad”, she said.