By Promise Eze
No fewer than three people have died on Wednesday in Benin, Edo State after a protest at the entrance of the state branch of the Central Bank of Nigeria turned violent.
Punch Newspapers reports that residents who were still in possession of the old notes had stormed the CBN office early in the morning to collect the form to enable them to deposit their money as directed by the CBN.
However, the situation turned violent as some of them (the residents) attacked the vehicle and the vehicle went back while the police at the entrance of the bank calmed the situation. Two people were feared to have died in the ensuing melee.
This led to the angry protesters attacking virtually all the banks along the Akpkakpkava destroying their ATM points and buildings. Some of the banks affected are Sterling Bank, UBA, GTB, Access, Zenith, Stanbic IBTC and others.
The violence degenerated into a full-fledged protest as the enraged residents took over the Ring Road (city centre) throwing stones at anything in sight.
The Nation reports that two of the deceased were young men and women hit by direct gunshots from policemen in front of the CBN’s branch by the popular Ring Road.
At Upper Sakponba, the protesters attacked the United Bank for Africa, destroying a part of the bank as staff scampered for safety.
To restore peace and order in the metropolis, soldiers and policemen were dispatched to the affected area and prisons to prevent jailbreaks.
Also, members of the Edo State Security network also dismantled the roadblocks set up by angry residents in a different part of the city. Vigilantes also joined the security personnel to patrol the streets.
