…Lagos new CP visits scenes, threatens rioters
Juliana Francis
Riots on Friday 17th of February 2023, erupted in different parts of Lagos and Ogun states due to the ongoing hardship visited on Nigerians by the scarcity of naira notes.
Areas in Lagos State where violence erupted are Ikorodu, Igando, Mile 12, Ojota, and Ketu. In Ogun State, it erupted at Magboro and Ibafo.
In the Igando area of Lagos State, passengers were dragged out of commercial buses and tricycles by members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, (NURTW), who said they were protesting the Cash crunch.
Hundreds of passengers were sighted at bus stops, waiting for commercial buses that did not come. Others, tired of waiting, started trekking.
The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, (PPRO) Benjamin Hundeyin, while confirming the eruption of violence in the state, said that normalcy has been restored.
His words: “It is true. Our men are there. Reinforcement units have been deployed. Stay safe out there as we closely monitor and manage the situation. Free movement of vehicles and people is fully restored. Our officers and men are still on the ground to prevent any breakdown of law and order. If you see something, say something. Police teams deployed. Situation monitoring ongoing.”
He also stated that the new Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Idowu Owohunwa, was at Mile 12 to have an on-the-spot assessment of the situation.
Hundeyin said: “Other parts of Lagos State were equally visited.”
Owohunwa, during the visits, had threatened, “Troublemakers will surely be dealt with while law-abiding citizens will be protected.”
An eyewitness, in a voice note, said: “ Protest at Fagbems Fuel Station, Kara area of Ogun State. The protesters are young men and they are not up to 100, but they have caused serious gridlock from Fagbems, going out of Lagos State. There is the presence of the Nigerian Army, asking them to leave the road, but the protesters have refused to obey.”
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