Banks in Ibadan, the Oyo capital, have been attacked following protests over lingering scarcity of cash.
Some protesters on Friday attacked a Wema Bank branch in Ibadan over the lingering Naira notes scarcity.
In a video seen by YGist, some protesters were seen breaking the windows of the bank while others attacked the ATMs.
The riot is probably a spillover of the protest that rocked Iwo road on Friday morning.
Some youths numbering over 100 had gathered to protest over fuel scarcity.
However things took another turn when they stormed the State Secretariat and damaged government properties.
Our correspondent had earlier reported that protesters in Ibadan took to the streets to protest the scarcity of petrol and naira notes.
The unrest was said to have started at Agodi gate, at the intersection that leads to the state secretariat and the government house, before it spread to other parts including Iwo road, Gate bus-stop, and Idi Ape. Access Bank and Wema Bank branches located in the Dugbe and Queen Cinema areas of the town were attacked.
Adewale Osifeso, the spokesperson of the state police command, confirmed the attacks on the financial institutions to our correspondent. “Some persons tried to vandalise the ATM of Wema bank but were repelled by the police,” he added. Osifeso had earlier told our correspondent that intelligence showed that some unspecified persons have plans to attack banks, prisons, and facilities belonging to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Worthy of note is that available intelligence reveals that certain unscrupulous elements have perfected plans to hijack the process, escalating the situation into full-scale chaos by shutting down and attacking places of interest which include but are not limited to INEC facilities, banks, media houses, schools, correctional centres and other critical infrastructure inclusive of looting major malls and business centres within the state,” he said.
“Members of the public are hereby advised especially with reference to the youth segment to avoid being used by agents of violence who want to capitalise on the situation to criminally enrich themselves especially as we navigate towards the 2023 General Elections as the Command is fully prepared to mobilise fully to prevent these criminal elements from turning Oyo State into their playground.”
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