Some hoodlums have hijacked the naira scarcity protests in Rivers State on Friday, leading to the breakdown of law and order.
Punch Metro reported that some residents around the Ikokwu junction in the Ikwerre Local Government Area in the state staged a protest against the scarcity of naira notes.
The riot was caused by the demonetization policy by the Federal Government of Nigeria has made Naira notes scarce and triggered unrest in Lagos, Ogun, and Port Harcourt, the River State capital.
However, as of the time of filing this report, some hoodlums have reportedly taken advantage of the protest to rob and dispossess passersby of their possessions and valuables.
Reports revealed that they also forced traders whose shops were open in the Mile 1 and Mile 3 areas to accept the old naira notes as legal tender.
Recall that a day ago, Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, in an interview on Channels TV disagreed with the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd), on the currency swap, stating that it was targeted at some people and the timing was wrong.
“The Supreme Court having given an interim order, we should have waited for it. As far as I am concerned, it is a corporate interference which is not good for our system, for our democracy,” the governor said.
Due to complaints from Nigerians, the President on Thursday in a broadcast ordered the Central Bank of Nigeria to put old N200 notes into circulation to coexist with the new N200, N500, and N1,000 banknotes for 60 days.
