Commercial drivers stormed major roads in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, on Wednesday morning to protest the country’s ongoing naira crunch.
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. At the same time, people have started rejecting the old notes.
The drivers obstructed the free traffic flow, leading to a gridlock.
The protesters lamented the lingering non-availability of cash and 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 and 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) declared that the old N200, N500, and N1000 have ceased to be legal tender as of February 10, 2023.
The CBN originally set January 31 as the deadline for old notes to be circulated 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 to restrain the CBN from proceeding with the deadline.
