The Benin-Lagos highway and other areas in Benin metropolis have been blocked by protesters following the increase in the pump price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS).
The protesters are mainly members of the Edo State Civil Society Organisation (EDOCSO), who have demanded that the increase be withdrawn.
The protesters were carrying placards with inscriptions such as “Nigerians can’t buy petrol at N520”; “We can’t buy petrol at N520 but N210”; “Petrol must be N210 till July end”.
They said Nigerians were already facing hardships.
The protest has caused gridlock, forcing commuters to trek to their destinations
Former coordinator general, EDOCSO, Omobude Agho, said the protest was to get the attention of President Bola Tinubu so that he could look into the fuel pump price.
“We are protesting because of the increase in fuel price which started yesterday, marketers moved the price from N210 to over N500.
“We were shocked to see that even the NNPC Limited fixed over N500 as the pump price. So, we feel this is a plan to kill Nigerians or send us to our graves.
“The strategy is called local protest, we are localizing the protest. It is currently ongoing in places such as Uselu shell, Ologbo, Siluko and Agbor park.”
He said if by Friday the government fails to address the situation, the protest will spread to other areas.
