#EndSARS: Ado-Ekiti on lockdown as protesters block major roads

The nationwide protests against the Special Anti-Robbery Squad tagged #EndSARS being staged across the nation, on Monday, assumed a totally different dimension as youths take over every section of Ado-Ekiti capital city in protest.

Virtually all the strategic roads in the metropolis were blocked by the youths, comprising students, Okada riders, commercial drivers, civil society bodies and other unemployed individuals.

Majorly affected are the Fajuyi Park, Okeyinmi, Ijigbo, Basiri, Matthew area, Ajilosun, Adebayo among others.

Most commercial banks and supermarket have hurriedly closed down for business as of the time of filing this report.

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.

Those workers who were already in their offices at the state Secretariat and other offices were asked to go home and not to return to work tomorrow.

The protesters, who flaunted the Nigerian flag sang all manners of derisive songs to mock the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.

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.

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One of them, who identified himself as Joseph Dada addressed newsmen at Fajuyi area and attributed the protests across the nation to lacklustre 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 be sold for N40,000? How can a governor buy the votes to win an election even when he has not done anything to justify his re-election?

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

“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.”

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.

NIGERIAN TRIBUNE

#EndSARS: Ado-Ekiti on lockdown as protesters block major roads