Francis Ogbuagu 
Suspected hoodlums on Monday blocked some roads around some areas in Benin City and outskirts just as some protesters continued their street movement insisting that they would be on the road for ten days before they would re-strategize for the next line of action against the government.
Though life is gradually picking up in the Edo state capital, many businesses including banks remained shut apparently for fear of being attacked by suspected hoodlums. All the banks and most shops and offices along Airport Road, Ekehuan Road, Sapele Road, Sokponba Road and environs were shut.
While police went through Sapele Road to the bypass to clear the roadblocks, suspected hoodlums mounted roadblocks around Upper Mission from Teboga Junction and extorted motorists.
Parts of TV Road were also blocked just as Egba Junction after the bypass along the Benin –Auchi road was also blocked by suspected hoodlums.
In Ekheuan Road where suspected hoodlums took over on Sunday, soldiers were stationed at Erediauwa Junction Asoro Bustop and other areas along the road to prevent the road from being blocked against motorists.
Speaking to newsmen, one of the leaders of the protesters, Leftist Omobude Agho carpeted President Bola Tinubu’s Sunday broadcast saying it was hollow.
He said “We are still in the street because this protest is for ten days, it is a warning protest, ten days warning protest afterwards, the protest will go to the next level so we have only done four days and today is the fifth day and we must continue.
“Though some government apparatus tried to infiltrate the protest so that they can discredit it and a lot of persons are being misled so we want to rekindle the spirit of Nigerians to wake and say their right is their right, they must come out and fight for it because if we don’t get it now, we will never get it again because this is the worst time in our life as Nigerians.”
Continuing, he said,‘” The president did not say anything, we only heard his voice, we only saw his mouth moving, but nothing came out of it. If he made a speech we would have since relaxed but he rather came to insult the sensibilities of the majority of Nigerians, by now we all should be fully convinced that we are now in a clueless regime, a completely clueless system.
“They have militarized everywhere, soldiers are everywhere that is why we went to start our protest from where they are. The soldiers are militarizing our democratic space.”
The state government through the Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Chris Nehikhare had on Sunday in a statement commended the protesters on their peaceful conduct but warned hoodlums and criminals who would want to take advantage of the protest to cause mayhem to be careful as he said security forces have been mandated to apprehend and arrest anyone caught disrupting public peace or perpetrating the crime of any kind.
He said “We have received information that some persons have taken to blocking major roads, obstructing vehicular traffic and extorting motorists. Security persons have been mandated to round up all those involved in such criminal activities as they would be made to face the full weight of the law.
“Once again, we enjoin law-abiding members of the public to go about their lawful businesses without fear, as the government would continue to work to ensure the growth and progress in the State.”
