Benin, Nigeria – The protesters in the ongoing nationwide #EndBadGovernance protests in Benin City, the Edo State capital, held a Church service on the road as part of Sunday’s protest in the state.
The venue was the Agho junction, on the Ekehuan road, where protesters sang and danced while praising God and calling for end to bad governance.
The protesters barricaded the road during the church service and restricted vehicular movement there.
It was also gathered that some hoodlums blocked inner streets and turned the protest into money-making spree as motorists have to part with between N100 and N200 before allowing them to pass the blockade.
However, the coordinators on Friday readjusted the protesting time to between 8am and 4pm daily to enable businesses to operate.
There was no protest at the King Square, the official designated venue of the protest, and there were no blockade on the Benin-Agbor road and Ramat Square, venues usually manned by protesters since the begining of the protest on 1 August.
The Coordinator, Edo State Civil Society Organisation, Agho Omobide, said the protest is for 10 days and would continue as the president failed to address the protesters’ demand in his nationwide broadcast on Sunday.
According to him, “President Bola Tinubu’s broadcast is empty and didn’t assuage the protesters.
“The president should have given Nigeria a speech of hope instead of a speech of hopelessness and frustration. He has worsened the living conditions of Nigerians.”
Meanwhile, Funsho Adegboye, State Commissioner of Police, noted there was no attack or loss of life since the commencement of the protest in the state.