Political parties’ billboard set on fire

From Joseph Obukata, Warri

Warri metropolis and its environs descended into chaos Wednesday as youths protest the shortage of new naira notes and the inability to make transactions with the old notes.

Daily Sun learnt that an orgy of violence broke out first in Udu, near Warri, the commercial hub of Delta State and later spread to Enerhen junction, Uvwie council area which hosts several new generation banks.

The rampaging youths who had laid siege to the banks in the wee hours of the day destroyed automated teller machines of banks in the area in protest of the nationwide cash crunch.

At the ever-busy Orhuwhorum junction which has a branch of Access Bank and Union bank, protesters set bonfires on the road to prevent vehicular movement thus causing high tension and chaos in the area.

The riot which erupted first in Orhuwhorum junction spread to Express junction as a group of women and children carrying leaves joined the protesters in a demonstration over the shortage of naira notes as well as a hike in fuel pump prices.

Our correspondent who was at the scene reports that the protesters vandalised automated teller machines of Access Bank in Orhuwhorum junction as well as First Bank ATM in Udu road. It was observed that a fire was set on the ATM at Orhuwhorum junction before it was later quenched.

Part of the building of the banks was also destroyed by mobs who hauled stones at the bank premises.

Bonfires were set at various junctions, particularly the ever-busy Orhuwhorum junction and Express Junction.

Bank workers and those who were in the banks for morning transactions were said to have fled the scene before the riot broke out.

Many schools within the vicinity were hurriedly closed by school management with parents scampering to pick up their children and wards from school before closing time.

As of the time o this report, tension is still brewing in the area but soldiers and mobile policemen from Operation Delta Hulk of the Delta State Police Command were seen driving around the hot spots to disperse the demonstrators.

The security agents also stationed their vehicles in front of the banks hours after the rampaging youths descended on the ATM machines.

Some of the residents who gathered at the scene told our correspondent that the people are far up with the shortage of new notes at the banks and their refusal to accept the old notes for transactions.

“We’re tired, you go to the filling station to buy fuel they said they will not take the old notes even with the exorbitant rate they’re selling, okay let do transfer they said no, no transfer. Okay give us new notes banks say no money and that they’re short of cash so what do they want us to do?. We can’t buy with old notes, we can’t get new ones. We’re at a dead end hence the youths decided to come out.

“They were lucky that security people came on time otherwise they could have burned the banks. Everywhere was chaotic, people were running helter-skelter, parents were running here and there to pick up their children from school. All the POS stands in Orhuwhorum and Express Junctions were set ablaze. There was really commotion everywhere”, one resident who simply gave his name as Benjamin said.

It was gathered that billboards of both APC and PDP politicians who adorned the Orhuwhorum and Express Junctions were destroyed by the mobs who branded clubs and other dangerous items around.