Posted by The Angola Press on
Hoodlums Friday hijacked the second in a series of Nigeria fuel protests in the Midwestern city of Benin, vandalising government and private properties.
Benin City, Nigeria, 09/17 - Hoodlums Friday hijacked the second in a series of Nigeria fuel protests in the Midwestern city of Benin, vandalising government and private properties.
Police arrested two students of the University of Benin over their role in the violence, but they were later released following the intervention of the President of the umbrella Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Adams Oshiomhole.
Shortly after the procession took off from the 2nd East Circular Street on a 16-kilometre trek to the government house with hundreds of thousands of protesters, hoodlums vandalised vehicles and looted offices, including that of the private telecommunications company, V-Mobile.
Armed policemen, who were escorting the procession, quickly intervened to restore order, without firing a single shot or tear gas canister.
The march was led by Oshiomhole, and the former President of the Association of Academic Staff Union of Nigerian Universities (ASUU), Dipo Fasina; National Chairman of the National Conscience Party (NCP), Osagie Obayuwana and other reputable Nigerians.
The demonstrations, which started in the commercial city of Lagos Wednesday, were called by a coalition of Nigerian labour unions and civil society organisations to protest a recent 30 per cent fuel price hike and general economic woes in the country.
The protests are planned for other major Nigerian cities over the next two weeks, after which the coalition would meet 3 October to assess the impact.
A nationwide strike has not been ruled out if the government fails to reverse the fuel prices by 3 October.
Nigeria, Africa`s largest oil-producing nation, has raised fuel prices seven times since 2000.