Protest rocks Benin over lingering fuel scarcity

Residents of Benin City, the Edo State capital, today Monday, January 30 trooped out to the streets as they protested the protracted fuel scarcity and hike in the price of petroleum products in the state.

The angry residents erected bonfires on some roads in Benin City, the state capital.

In a video making the rounds on social media, one of the protesters could be heard saying,

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“This is happening live in Benin City, Edo State capital; huge protests are going on over the fuel crisis. You can see protesters block roads and make fire on the roadblocks.”

The angry residents claim petrol is being sold to them for as high as N400 per litre.

The situation has subjected the residents, especially motorists, to chaos and hardships due to the scarcity of the commodity.

The official cost of the product used to be N165 per litre before recent reports accuse the government of quietly increasing it to N185 per litre. But due to the scarcity of the product and the rising demand, many fuel stations have been selling for between N340 and N400 per litre.