UPDATED: Commotion As Cash Crunch’s Protest Turns Violent In Warri, Banks ATMs, POS Stands Razed

BIGPEN NIGERIA (www.bigpenngr.com) reports that the protesters were demonstrating over shortage of new Naira notes and inability to make transactions with the old notes.

It was gathered that the orgy of violence broke out first in Udu, near Warri, commercial hub of Delta State, and later spread to Enerhen junction, Uvwie council area which host several new generation banks.

The rampaging youths who had laid siege to the banks at the wee hours of the day destroyed automated teller machines of banks in the area in protest of the nationwide cash crunch.

The protesters went berserk at the ever-busy Orhuwhorum junction which has branches of Access Bank and Union bank, shattering the glass windows of the banks as they set bonfire on the road to prevent vehicular movement thus causing serious tension and chaos in the area.

The rioters also smashed Point of Sale (POS) stands along the Orhuwhorun junction as the protest spread to Express junction with a group of women and children carrying leaves joining the protesters in the demonstration.

Our correspondent who was at the scene reports that the protesters vandalised automated teller machines of Access Bank, Union Bank ATM near Jigbale market in Orhuwhorum junction,  as well as First Bank ATM in Udu road. It was observed that fire was set on the ATM at Orhuwhorum junction before it was later quenched.

It was gathered that part of the building of the banks were also smashed by mobs who hauled stones at the bank premises, shattering large glass windows of the banks. Two cars were reportedly torched at Union Bank premises by the angry mobs who took advantage of the protest.

BIGPEN NIGERIA reports that the protesters lit bonfires at various junctions particularly the ever-busy Orhuwhorum junction and Express Junction thus forcing vehicles to make detour so as not to be caught in the mayhem.

Bank workers and those who were in the banks for morning transactions were said to have fled the scene before the riot broke out. Business activities in the ever-busy Jigbale market in Orhuwhorun junction, Express Junction and Oghior modern market were grounded for hours the protest lasted as traders scattered to hurriedly closed for the day.

Many schools within the vicinity were hurriedly closed by school management with parents scampering to pick their children and wards from school before closing time.

As at the time of updating this report around 6:10pm there was uneasy calm in the area as soldiers and mobile policemen from Operation Delta Hulk of the Delta state Police Command drafted to the area were seen driving around the hot spots to quell further upheaval.

The security agents also stationed their vehicle at front of the banks hours after the rampaging youths descended on the ATM machines.

Some of the residents who gathered at the scene told our correspondent that the people are far up with the shortage of the new notes at the banks and their refusal to accept the old notes for transactions.

“We’re tired, you go to the filling station to buy fuel they said they will not take the old notes even with exorbitant rate they’re selling, okay let do transfer they said no, no transfer. Okay give us new notes banks say no money and that they’re short of cash so what do they want us to do?. We can’t buy with old notes, we can’t get new one. We’re at the dead end hence the youths decided to come out.

“They were luck that security people came on time otherwise they could have burn the banks. Everywhere was chaotic, people were running helter skelter, parents were running here and there to pick their children from school. All the POS stands in Orhuwhorum and Express Junctions were set ablaze. There was really commotion everywhere”, one resident who simply gave his name as Benjamin said.

It was gathered that billboards of both APC and PDP politicians which adorned the Orhuwhorum and Express Junctions were destroyed by the mobs who branded clubs and other dangerous items around.