Naira Crisis: Miscreants Vandalised, Razed Police Station In Ibadan
Following the scarcity of fuel and new Naira notes, some miscreants within the popular Araromi Spare parts, Gate, on Friday, took advantage of protest in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, and set ablaze police station and vandalise WEMA Bank in the area.
The peaceful protest, which started at Iwo road, suddenly turned brutal as protesters destroyed both government and private property along the roads.
The angry youths, who had earlier assembled at Iwo road, end of Lagos-Ibadan expressway, blocked all the major roads thereby causing artificial hindrances before heading towards Idi-Ape Agodi-Gate.
Investigations by our correspondent revealed that they descended on passersby and barricaded all the roads leading to Agodi Government House and Governor’s Office before the arrival of the security personnel.
At Agodi-Gate, the miscreants within the market took advantage of the protest by burning the police station, destroying the WEMA Bank, stealing phones and looting some roadside shops
Unconfirmed reports said one of the Plasma TV and other valuables at the police station were carted away by the hoodlums before the arrival of Operation Burst who restored sanity into the area.
A reporter, Ademola Adegbite, was not lucky as he was mercilessly beaten for taking some shots while his mobile phone and other valuables were seized from him before they returned only the mobile phone later.
The youth, armed with dangerous weapons, therefore moved to the entrance of Oyo State Secretariat thereby blocking a portion of the road linking Bodija to the Secretariat axis with burn fire.
They forced themselves into the state Secretariat and headed straight to the Governor’s Office where one Inspector of Police who was on duty was injured. He was said to have been stoned by the protesters while trying to prevent them from gaining access to the main office.
He was later rushed to the clinic for proper treatment.
The protesters were demobilized by the state joint security outfit known as Operation Burst, police and Amotekun officers.
From the state Secretariat, they moved to Mokola roundabout, Adamasingba and Dugbe pelted people with stones and other dangerous substances.
Meanwhile, the state Police command has warned youths to avoid being used by agents of violence who want to capitalize on the situation to criminally enrich themselves as the general elections are fast approaching.
A statement by the state Police Public Relations Officer, Adewale Osifeso, said Command was fully prepared to mobilize fully to prevent the criminal elements from turning the state into their playground.
