Naira Scarcity: 3 Killed as Angry Customers Attack CBN, Other Banks in Benin

Three persons were feared dead in Benin as angry residents barricaded the gate of the Central Bank of Nigeria over scarcity of new notes and rejection of old currency notes. 

Just as two persons died on the Akpakpava road where the CBN office is located, the other was killed on Sakpoba road. 

Angry residents including those who could not make withdrawal of new notes  had besieged the CBN to swap old notes following its rejection by banks, fuel stations and market women

Trouble started Wednesday, when an unmarked Toyota Hilux which the protesters believed was from the government office coming to the CBN to collect new cash wanted to enter the bank which the angry customers rejected and started stoning the vehicle before security agents brought the situation under control.

The protest snowballed into crisis when other protesters from Mission road and Sakpoba road joined the protest and started attacking the CBN by throwing stone and other objects.

One of the protesters who gave his name as Abraham, alleged that it was government officials that want to collect new notes from the CBN hence the people had to stop them.

He said the police responded by firing tear gas and bullets in the air  and in the process three people were killed.

The angry protesters later moved into the town attacking and vandalizing  banks offices across the state.

It was gathered that UBA, First Bank, Keystone, Access bank, Unity banks, Polaris banks have their ATM shattered by the protesters.

Following this development, Banks across the state hurriedly closed down so that hoodlums could not take the advantage of protest to loot.

One of the protesters, Godwin Osemwingie, said he saw three corpses on the ground while others sustained various degree of injuries.

“The problem right now is that I went to bank to deposit my old naira notes, they said they are not accepting it and even the bus drivers are also rejecting it. 

“You cannot buy anything. I just went to the bank, look at the money, this is Nigerian money and they are rejecting it”

On his part,  Osasere Enadaghe, said he went to Bureau D’ Change (BDC) to exchange 50 euro currency for naira and was given old naira notes of N30,000, only to get to where he intended buying some items and the sellers rejected it.

“What I see in this place now is very peculiar to us. We are passing through a difficult time. We don’t know where we are going or where we are coming from. 

“I am just coming from Upper Sakponba this morning to change my money and before changing it, they told me that they collect both the old and the new money. 

Also speaking, Precious Oruche,  said she visited the CBN to swap the old with new notes but the situation was frustrating as she was not allow to into the premise. 

“We did not see new money and we didn’t see old money. The little ones we have, you said deadline and now that we want to return it, the CBN said no way. 

“I want to buy pure water, we I make a transfer of N10 to the seller and if the person accepts, what about the internet issues?

“People you see protesting they really don’t want it but they are frustrated, Nigerians are frustrated, they have to stop.

“The people that they said they are doing it for, they have banks. So it is the poor masses that are suffering it. We are calling on the Nigerian government to make a fast U-turn before things go overboard,” she appealed.

It took the intervention of the security personnel to bring the situation under control.