Following the scarcity of fuel and new naira notes, some miscreants within the popular Araromi spare parts, Agodi Gate, on Friday, February 3, took advantage of the protest in Ibadan, Oyo state capital, and set ablaze a police station in the area.
The miscreants also vandalized a branch of WEMA Bank in the area.
The peaceful protest, which started at Iwo road, suddenly turned brutal as protesters destroyed both government and private propertues along the roads.
The angry youths blocked all the major roads, thereby causing artificial hindrances before heading towards Idi-Ape Agodi-Gate.
At Agodi-Gate, the miscreants within the market took advantage of the protest by burning a police station, and destroying a branch of WEMA Bank in the area.
Sources also noted that a Plasma TV and other valuables at the police station were carted away by the hoodlums before the arrival of police operatives who restored sanity into the area.
The protesters, armed with dangerous weapons, also moved to the entrance of Oyo state secretariat, thereby blocking a portion of the road linking Bodija to the Secretariat axis.
From the state secretariat, they moved to Mokola roundabout, Adamasingba and Dugbe refios of Ibadan, and pelted people with stones and other dangerous substances.
Meanwhile, the state police public relations officer, Adewale Osifeso, while speaking on the development, said that the command was fully prepared to mobilize fully to prevent the criminal elements from turning the state into their playground.
He said that available intelligence revealed that certain unscrupulous elements have perfected plans to hijack the current situation by attacking places of interest.
Osifeso noted that, “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 capitalize on the situation to criminally enrich themselves especially as we navigate towards the forthcoming general elections.
“The command is fully prepared to mobilize fully to prevent these criminal elements from turning the state into their playground.
“The state police command wishes to inform members of the public to stay calm and maintain peace even amidst pockets of protest that have emanated at different parts of the metropolis over hike in fuel pump price and unavailability of new naira notes,” he added.
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