Protest erupts in Ojota, Mile 12, other areas of Lagos

Update #1: 9:35am
Update #2: 9:46 am – eyewitness account quote

Protests going hand-in-hand with significant vandalism have been reported in Ojota, Mile 12 and Agege areas of Lagos.

Witnesses in Ketu- Mile 12 have confirmed that the protest erupted when some drivers and motorpark touts could not agree on whether to collect the old notes or not.

“I was on my way to Ibadan early this morning but went back because my money was rejected and when the violence started, they shattered windscreen of vehicles plying Ketu towards Ojota axis,” Okoro Afor an eyewitness said.

“It started from an issue of rejecting old notes, the whole episode lasted for about one hour,” another witness, an agbero in Ketu said.

“It was a violent reaction to rejection of the notes by drivers and some agbero,” said James, a belt-seller on the street who was around when the fracas started.

Uneasy calm has returned to the locations and riot police can be seen on both sides of the expressway.

According to our reporter, actors in the early morning violence have disappeared, but the destruction in their wake bear witness to what transpired earlier.

Benjamin Hundeyin, Police spokesman in Lagos confirmed the breakdown of law and order in the Mile 12-Ketu-Ojota axis but said security agents are on ground to quell the crisis.

It is true. Our men are there. Reinforcement units have been deployed.

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Stay safe out there as we closely monitor and manage the situation. https://t.co/6ztGGNJ0Z3
— SP Benjamin Hundeyin (@BenHundeyin) February 17, 2023

Other areas where protests are currently being reported include Iyana Oba, Oke koto, and Igando.

Update: this is the list of Certain hot zones in Lagos and should be avoided for now.

Iyana iba
Igando
Òkè koto
Mile 12
Ketu/ojota
Ikorodu.
As fighting, shooting and other assault are currently going on. pic.twitter.com/NTeLZFPpRj
— HonourableFM (@honourable_fm) February 17, 2023

This is coming seven days to Nigeria’s presidential election scheduled for February 25.

Temi Bamgbose

Temi Bamgbose is a new-generation media professional who has an intimate understanding of new and emerging media communications elements. He possesses a degree in Agricultural Extension and Rural Development from the University of Ibadan. He holds a Diploma in Electrical Electronics Engineering from the Moshood Abiola Polytechnic and a Journalism Diploma from the London School of Journalism. His career as a multimedia journalist saw him working with several online news platforms including The Punch -- the most widely read Nigerian newspaper -- where he won, along with his team of two, the 2017 season of the Global Editors Network NAN Editors Lab innovation competition. Temi has also worked with a number of public relations agencies. He also worked extensively on communications accounts of multinational brands. He is a wildlife conservation enthusiast.

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