Youths in Auchi, headquarters of Etsako West Local Government Area of Edo State, on Monday staged a peaceful protest over gully erosion ravaging the community and incessant kidnapping in the area.
The youths converged at the popular Jattu Junction with placards bearing various inscriptions, calling on the government to address the gully erosion and incessant kidnapping in the community.
The youths operating under the umbrella of Auchi Youth Council (AYC) blocked the Jattu axis of the Benin-Auchi road to draw the attention of the government.
Mr. Chalaman Momoh, who spoke on behalf of the protesters, noted that the action is to draw the attention of the government and relevant authorities to the gullies and incessant kidnapping in the community.
He said, “We’re here to cry out to the government on the issue of gully erosion that is ravaging our community.
“We’ve written to the government and we haven’t gotten a response. We’re also having the issue of kidnapping every day.
According to him, kidnappers go into the homes of residents in the community to kidnap them.
“So, we’re here to show solidarity, and we’re calling on the government to come to Auchi to salvage the gully erosion menace, and put an end to the incessant kidnapping of our people,” Momoh said.
On his part, Mr. Hafiz Lawal, the Coordinator, Edo Take It Back Movement, noted that no fewer than 15 persons in Auchi have been kidnapped with over N70 million paid as ransom.
Lawal, who is also the Coordinator of Coalition for Edo North Youths for Good Governance (CENYGG) listed the gully erosion sites as Utsokhwilli gully, water tanker road and Auchi-Igarra road
He maintained that the protest tagged “Fix Erosion Ravaging Auchi and Incessant Kidnapping” is to draw the government’s attention to their demands.
“The demands we’re placing before the government are the erosion ravaging Auchi, as well as the issue of insecurity with 15 persons from Auchi so far kidnapped.
“We’re doing the protest to draw the attention of the government to come to our rescue,” Lawal said.
Commuters and motorists were stranded at the Jattu Junction on the Benin-Auchi-Okene highway, with a significant number of heavy-duty trucks, smaller vehicles, motorcycles, and commuters seen in long queues at the junction as protests continued.
Meanwhile, security personnel from the Nigeria Police Force, Nigeria Army, and Special Security Force were on the ground to ensure that the protesters maintain law and order, and the protest is not hijacked by hoodlums.
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