By Ozioruva Aliu

BENIN CITY – THE Edo Civil Society Organizations (EDOCSO), yesterday, blocked a section of the Lagos Benin Expressway protesting the increase in the pump price of fuel and the removal of subsidy which it said was premature.

The group moved from there to different locations in the state capital which resulted in traffic gridlock in parts of the city.

They called for the reversal of the fuel pump price, lamenting that Nigerians are already confronted with a lot of challenges and an increment to the product would further subject them to hardship.

Displaying placards with inscriptions that read thus, “Nigerians can’t buy petrol at N520; we can’t buy petrol at N520 but N210; Petrol must be N210 till July end”, the protesters said they would continue the following day (Friday) till the government find a lasting solution to their demand.

A leader of the group, Omobude Agho told journalists that the essence of the protest was to get the attention of President Bola Tinubu so he can reconsider the decision on the fuel pump price and put things in place to relieve the plight of the masses.

He said “We are protesting because of the increase in petrol pump price which started yesterday where a president, by the word of the mouth, will just make a sentence and the marketers will move the price from N210 to over N500. We were shocked to see that even the NNPC Limited fixed over N500 as the pump price. So, we feel this is a plan to kill Nigerians or send us to our graves.

“If we sit down, fold our hands and let it continue, only God knows what policy they will come up with tomorrow. What we are doing is testing the microphone, we have not actually started. If by tomorrow, we do not hear any news, then we will move to other directions.

“The strategy for this protest is called local protest, we are localizing the protest. This means it is happening in different areas and not on one axis. It is currently ongoing in places like Uselu shell, Ologbo, Siluko and Agbor park. By tomorrow, more areas will be activated,” Agho said.