There were protests by many youths in some parts of Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, yesterday over the removal of subsidy on petroleum products by the federal government.
Though the protests were peaceful in most parts of the state capital, it was reliably learnt that the security outfits set up by the state government to curb incidents of armed robbery, code-named ‘Operation Burst,’ fired teargas canisters at Olorunsogo area of the town to disperse the protesting crowd.
There was no casualty in the areas where the protests took place at the time of filing this report by which time the angry mobs had been dispersed to their various homes.
The protests, according to our findings, commenced at Mokola Round-about near the fast food outfit, Tantalizers, where the youths, who claimed to be jobless, threatened to continue with the protest until the federal government addressed the burning issue concerning the poor masses, who would feel the pinch of the unpopular policy.
From Mokola Roundabout, the youths in their thousands passed through Sango, diverted to Bodija area and headed for the Oyo State Secretariat to send their grievance to the President through the state government.
There was, however, a disruption to their movement when got to the gate of the secretariat to find out tha1t it was barricaded by armed security operatives who told the protesters to be patient until the governor came to address them.
The protest which was peaceful was monitored by a detachment of Police from Sango Division, led by Chief Superintendent of Police, Mrs. Akinfenwa.
An eye witness account said that the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Mrs Sunmonu, and the Chief Judge of the State who had an appointment with the governor were forced back by the protesters.
The governor advised the protesters to be peaceful and assured them? that their position on the fuel subsidy removal would be passed to the President without delay.
The few protesters who operated at Olorunsogo area, who had been dispersed earlier, were advised to leave because of the nearness of the area to the state head office of the proscribed National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) in order to prevent hoodlums from capitalising on the protest to cause commotion.
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