At least, about three people have been shot dead while in Benin City, Edo State capital as the protests against the Central Bank of Nigeria’s policy over new Naira in the country. Apart from the killings, many banks are said to have been vandalised in the state capital by irate mob who could no longer bear the brunt of the Naira hardship.
A branch of the Zenith Bank was vandalised with its glasses all shattered while the staff ran away. At the Ring Road state branch of the CBN, hundreds of protesters besieged the place when they sighted some bullion vans about to make their entry into the premises. NPO Reports gathered that some officials of the CBN and some of the policemen had appealed to the protesters not to take laws into their hands.
However, when it appeared that the protesters remained adamant and were not prepared to leave, some of gun-wielding men were ordered to fire to scare the protesters away.
It was gathered that it was in the process of the firing that some people were hit with stray bullets.
The protests in Benin came amidst accusations against the Governor of Edo, Godwin Obaseki over the decision of his government to join the Federal Government as a respondent in the case instituted by some All Progressive Congress Governors demanding a suspension of the New Naira policy.