What was billed as a peaceful protest against the removal of fuel subsidy by the federal government yesterday turned bloody? in Benin City, Edo State, as hoodlums seized the opportunity to attack a Bureau De Change.
? The hoodlums that attacked the Bureau De Change located along Sakponba road in the State Capital stole? large sums of money in hard currency and inflicted injuries on some shops owners.
As the injured were being rushed to hospital, protesters chanted, “We say no to subsidy removal”.? It took the combined efforts of the army and police who fired live bullets in the air and tear gas canisters to disperse the angry crowd.
It was also learnt that an arson attempt was made on a mosque located on Lagos Street but policemen thwarted the protested. Also three people were rumoured to have been killed during the attack? but this could not be confirmed at press time. However,? a BBC report said?? that about 40 were injured in the mosque attack.
The former state chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and a member of the Coalition to Save Nigeria, Comrade Kaduna Eboigbodin, acknowledged the incident.
According to him, “The protest started very peacefully but there are people who had other agenda outside the popular one which borders on the reduction of the pump price of petrol back to N65.”