Ogun Says Sagamu Naira Swap Riot Politically Motivated, 30 Suspects Held
Ogun Says Sagamu Naira Swap Riot Politically Motivated, 30 Suspects Held

Ogun Says Sagamu Naira Swap Riot Politically Motivated, 30 Suspects Held

Ogun Says Sagamu Naira Swap Riot Politically Motivated, 30 Suspects Held

Ogun State Government has said the Monday violent protests in Sagamu, against the scarcity of the naira swap and rejection of the old notes by banks, was politically motivated.

During the riot, two banks were burnt, four others banks, as well as the offices of the Ibadan Electricity Company, INEC and Sagamu Local Government Secretariat were vandalized.

The state government in a statement by the governor’s Chief Press Secretary,Kunle Somorin, said that some PDP leaders in the area, including a candidate in the February 2023 poll, were sighted leading the rioters.

It said that the PDP allegedly instigated the riot due to the suscess recorded by the APC during its electioneering campaign in the town last Sunday

The State Government said it would not allow desparate politicians to mislead the people to use them as cannon to vent their anger.

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According to the state government, attacks on the innocent people, and destruction of private and public properties would further worsens and not cure the pains of the naira scarcity.

Meanwhile, police say it has arrested 30 suspects’ rioters’ protesters in Sagamu against the scarcity of newly designed bank notes and the rejection of old notes by banks.

The spokesman of the State Police Command, Abimbola Oyeyemi said the state Police Commissioner, Frank Mba, led a joint police-military team to tackle the rioters.

He said the situation in the town was now under control.

Police and soldiers are now patrolling major streets in the town

The violent protests started after banks reject old naira notes and customers could not withdraw from their deposits in banks, either on-the-counter or from the automated teller machine

They also blockdaded the Sagamu-Ijebu Ode expressway.

Disturbed by the level of the protests, the Akarigbo of Remoland, Oba Babatunde Ajayi, asked residents in the town to stop the violent protests.

According to the paramount ruler, the naira swap policy which was the subject of the protests was not initiated by the state or local governments.

He asked them to continue spending the old naira notes in line with the directive of the Supreme Court, assuring them they would be redeemed.

The Sagamu violent protest was the third in the state over the naira swap policy.

The first was in Abeokuta, the state capital, during which some of the banks came under attack and a man shot by security forces.

Later, violent protesters last week blocked the Mowe-Ibafo axis of the Lagos-Ibadan expressway, and Papalanto-Ifo on the Abeokuta-Sango-Ota expressway.

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