Naira Redesign: More havoc wreaked in Ogun than during EndSARS protest – Governor

The Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, has said the destruction recorded in Sagamu after a violent protest over scarcity of the new naira notes on Monday is worse than in the 2020 #Endsars protest.

PREMIUM TIMES reported how the protesters destroyed properties as well as burnt two commercial banks in the town.

Barely 24 hours after the riot, the governor, on a visit to the affected areas, described the destruction of properties as shocking and unprecedented in the history of the town.

“I am here to have on-the-spot assessment of what happened during the protest that rocked Sagamu yesterday. I have visited the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company, local government secretariat and I am here at the Akarigbo Road to see the banks.

“What I have seen here breaks my heart. I am speechless. It was supposed to be a protest, but what I have seen here is that there are sinister objectives. The IBEDC office and the local government secretariat were vandalised with properties worth millions of naira destroyed. At the banks, hoodlums attempted to take away computers and cash.

“The protest is beyond naira redesigning or swapping policy. We heard that from so many eyewitnesses, we also believe from what we have seen today and this is most unfortunate particularly, as elections are few days away.

“This is obvious to me that some elements are determined to unleash mayhem in order to cause voters’ apathy or perhaps to hopefully believe that there will be no elections, if they continue with the violence.

“As the chief security officer of this state, I consider this a test of not only my will, but the collective will of the law architecture. We are going after any person that either directly or indirectly associates with this hideous crime. We will swing them, we will arrest them and they will face the full wrath of the law and make a good example of them”, Mr Abiodun stated.

The governor, however, appealed to the people to go about their normal businesses peacefully, assuring them that adequate security would be provided by law enforcement agencies.

He also commended the security agents for responding swiftly to the mayhem, insisting that the perpetuators could only wish, plan, but could not break the spirit of the people.

He emphasised that the elections will hold on Saturday as planned, warning that anyone found fomenting trouble would be dealt with.