Edo Protesters Assert 10-Day Protest Despite Road Blockade By Hoodlums In #Endbadgovernance Campaign.

On Monday, suspected hoodlums blocked several roads in Benin City and its outskirts, while some protesters continued their street movement with a determination to stay on the road for ten days before re-strategizing their next line of action against the government.

In fear of being attacked by suspected hoodlums, many businesses, including banks, remained shut in the Edo state capital. All banks, shops, and offices along Airport Road, Ekehuan Road, Sapele Road, Sokponba Road, and surrounding areas were closed.

While the police cleared roadblocks on Sapele Road to the bypass, suspected hoodlums set up new roadblocks around Upper Mission at Teboga Junction and extorted money from motorists.

Parts of TV Road and Egba Junction after the bypass along the Benin-Auchi road were also blocked by suspected hoodlums.

In Ekheuan Road, where suspected hoodlums took control on Sunday, soldiers were stationed at Erediauwa Junction, Asoro Bustop, and other areas along the road to prevent further blockades.

Speaking to the press, one of the protest leaders, Leftist Omobude Agho, criticized President Bola Tinubu’s Sunday broadcast, considering it hollow.

He stated, “We are still on the streets because this protest is scheduled for ten days. It is a warning protest, and afterward, we will take the protest to the next level. We have only completed four days, and today is the fifth day. We must continue.”

He further commented, “Although some government apparatus attempted to infiltrate the protest to discredit it, many people are being misinformed. We want to remind Nigerians that they have the right to fight for their rights. This is the worst time in our lives as Nigerians, and if we don’t fight for it now, we will never get it again.”

The protest leader voiced his disappointment with the President’s broadcast, saying, “The President did not say anything substantial. We only heard his voice and saw his mouth moving, but nothing of substance came out. We should all be convinced by now that we are under a clueless regime, a completely clueless system.”

Militarization was also a concern raised by Agho, stating that soldiers were present everywhere and that they decided to start their protest from where the soldiers were to highlight the militarization of Nigeria’s democratic space.

On Sunday, the Edo state government commended the protesters for their peaceful conduct but issued a warning to hoodlums and criminals looking to cause harm during the protest. The Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Chris Nehikhare, urged security forces to apprehend and arrest anyone disrupting public peace or perpetrating any criminal acts.

Nehikhare stated, “We have received reports of some individuals blocking major roads, obstructing vehicular traffic, and extorting money from motorists. Security personnel have been instructed to apprehend all those involved in such criminal activities, and they will face the full weight of the law. We urge law-abiding citizens to carry on their lawful activities without fear.”