Commercial drivers on Wednesday stormed major roads in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, in the morning to protest the ongoing naira crunch in the country.
The drivers moved across Eleyele, Gbopa, Ologuneru, Apete, Sango, Poly Road, Mokola and Iwo Road to protest the challenges being posed by the scarcity of the new naira notes, while people have started rejecting the old notes.
The drivers obstructed the free flow of traffic, leading to a gridlock in the areas.
The protesters lamented the lingering non-availability of cash, as well as the rejection of the old N200, N500 and N1,000 old notes by passengers and filling stations.
A driver who identified himself as Wasiu said that passengers no longer accept the old notes for change, as well as filling stations.
He said the protest would continue until the government found a solution to the problem.
Police operatives had already been deployed in the affected areas to prevent the breakdown of law and order.
Recall that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has declared that the old N200, N500 and N1000 have ceased being legal tender since February 10, 2023.
CBN had originally fixed January 31 as the deadline for old notes to be in circulation but extended it in response to pressure from Nigerians.
However, before the February 10 deadline, Kogi, Kaduna and Zamfara States approached the Supreme Court, seeking that the CBN from be restrained going ahead with the deadline.
