The organised labour in Ekiti State has told the police and other security agencies in the state to treat as robbers anybody found barricading roads and extorting money from commuters while the protests lasts.
Leaders of the State’s Chapters of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC), Messrs Ayodeji Aluko and Kolawole Olaiya stated this yesterday during the protest against the removal of fuel subsidy in Ado Ekiti, the state capital.
Aluko, in his address expressed regrets that some unscrupulous elements were taking advantage of the strike to extort money from innocent Nigerians under the guise of protest, urging the police to be alive to their responsibility by arresting those caught in the act.
“We neither asked anybody to block roads nor told them to collect toll fees from commuters. So, the Police should treat anybody mounting road blocks or extorting money from the people as armed robbers,” they said. The demonstrators started the protest from Odo Ado area of the State capital and stopped at Ijigbo roundabout, for addresses from the conveners of the protests and leaders of other groups that participated.