Students chased home, commuters stranded, commercial activities paralyzed

By Rotimi Ojomoyela – Ado Ekiti

The nationwide antiSARS protest assumed a dangerous dimension on Monday in Ekiti State as youths take over all the major towns in the state, aside from Ado Ekiti’s capital city.

All the strategic roads in Ado-Ekiti, Ikere other major towns were blocked by the angry youths, comprising students, Okada riders, commercial drivers, civil society bodies, and other unemployed individuals.

Majorly affected in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital is the Fajuyi Park,  Okeyinmi, Ijigbo, Basiri, Matthew area, Ajilosun, among others.

The protesters before now often converge on the popular Fajuyi roundabout but the reverse was the case on Monday as all roads within the state capital and other communities across the state were barricaded by protesters.

READ ALSO: #EndSARS protesters shut Alausa Secretariat

Commercial activities were paralyzed, major markets in Ado metropolis and neighborhoods markets, all the shops, including commercial banks and fuel stations in the state capital were shut down.

Students in public and private schools, who had earlier resumed in schools were hurriedly asked to return home to prevent being caught in the web.

Civil servants, who were on their way to work were stranded on the way while some of them were seen returning home in frustration.

The protesters, who bared placards with various inscriptions, also flaunted the Nigerian flag sang all manners of derisive songs to mock the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.

Among the inscription on the placard carried by the protesters reads #EndBanditry #Endcorruption #EndIllegal allowance to mention but a few.

As they matched from one point to the other, they also sang the Nigerian and Ekiti Anthems, querying the rationale behind the lopsidedness in the distribution of the nation’s wealth.

They mounted barricades and forced commuters to trek several metres or kilometres before getting to their respective destinations.

One of them, who identified himself as Joseph Dada addressed newsmen in the Fajuyi area and attributed the protests across the nation to lackluster and inept dispositions of the Buhari led government.

He said: ” Enough is enough, how can SARS be killing people all over the place? How can a bag of rice being sold for N40,000? How can a governor buy the votes to win reelection even when he has not done anything to justify his re-election?

” See how our youths were being killed every day. No job, no food, no house to live. We are all suffering and we are saying these must stop.

READ ALSO: #ENDSARS: Group debunks allegations of threat to life by Flavour against Govt 

“Petrol is now sold for N160 per litre and the electricity tariff has gone up. We are now forced to pay higher tariff for total darkness. This is callous and it must stop”.

Some of the protesters explained that the demonstration had gone beyond police brutality as the public is now yearning for good governance.

They vowed to continue the protest until the Federal Government do the needful.

The protests started in Ado Ekiti last week with the most dangerous event witnessed on Friday when the protesters had besieged the House of Assembly to disrupt the state of the state address being presented by Governor Kayode Fayemi to mark his second year in office.

The protesters became unruly and it took the intervention of the police, who whisked the governor and rescued him out of the assembly complex unhurt.

Vanguard