Four Killed In Benin As Naira Crisis Rages On

• A nursing mother along with 3 others killed in Benin as protests tore down the city over Naira scarcity.

• Residents engage in violence at the gate of the CBN’s building as they barricade the bank’s gate.

• The nursing mother was killed by a stray bullet while waiting by an ATM stand to withdraw cash.

EKO HOT BLOG reports that Four people, including a nursing mother, were reportedly killed in Benin City, Edo State, as protests rocked the state over the scarcity of Naira.

Residents engaged in a violent protest at the gate of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), barricading the gate of the bank.

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According to reports, two people were killed on the Akpakpava road, where the CBN office is located, while another was killed on Sakpoba road. The nursing mother was killed by a stray bullet while waiting at a nearby ATM spot to withdraw cash.

The protest turned violent when an unmarked Toyota Hilux, which the protesters believed was from the government office, came to the CBN to collect new cash. Angry residents started throwing stones at the suspected government vehicle before security agents controlled the situation.

Protesters from Mission road and Sakpoba road started throwing stones and other objects at the CBN in an attempt to break in. The police responded by firing tear gas and bullets in the air, and in the process, three people were killed.

A protester alleged that the people stopped the government officials who wanted to collect new notes from the CBN. The protest reportedly escalated with angry protesters vandalizing the ATMs of UBA, First Bank, Keystone, Access Bank, Unity Bank, and Polaris banks before moving into the town.

Godwin Osemwingie, another protester, confirmed that he saw three corpses on the ground while others sustained injuries.

He explained that the problem started when he went to the bank to deposit his old naira notes, but the bank said they were not accepting them, and even the bus drivers were rejecting them.

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The situation has caused panic in the state, with residents calling on the government to address the scarcity of Naira as soon as possible.

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