Thousands of people were, on Monday morning, stranded in various parts of Ogun State, as #EndSARS protesters resumed their protests.
The protesters blocked the NNPC axis of the Abeokuta-Sagamu road, thus making it difficult for civil servants to resume for work at the Oke Mosan state secretariat.
The Papalanto-Obada Oko end of the Lagos-Abeokuta expressway was also blocked, thus preventing vehicular movements inbound Abeokuta and outbound Lagos.
The same scenario was witnessed at Pansheke and Camp areas of Abeokuta metropolis where the protesters mounted roadblock and prevented vehicular movements.
Vehicles travelling from Lagos or other parts of Ogun enroute Abeokuta-Kopabe-Siun-Sagamu Expressway had to find alternative routes to the state capital.
Speaking at the NNPC protest ground, Mr Bolaji Amusan, the President of Theatre Arts and Motion Picture Producers Association of Nigeria (TAMPPAN), said that the association supported the protest, saying police brutality must stop.
“I have travelled to some parts of the world and youths are well appreciated in those countries.
“The protest is peaceful and any sane person will want to identify with them. Government is aware of the demands of the youth and I want to believe that they will attend to them because there is no nation without the youth.
“We also demand for good governance. Since our generation had refused to do the needful, it is important for us to join the youth of today in their quest for a better nation, “he said.
Another Nollywood actor, Odunlade Adekola, and other celebrities also joined in the protests.
One of the protesters, Wale Olagbenro, said that there should be a change in the way the police system was being run, stressing that the protest was an opportunity for the youth to express their grievances.
He noted that government needed to listen to the youth, as it was important for the country’s socio-economic development.
Meanwhile, vehicular and human movements were at standstill on Monday at Ijanikin, Iyana Isashi and Agbara axis on Lagos – Badagry Expressway as angry youths protested against police brutality and the deplorable state of the road.
The protesters blocked the expressway with two articulated vehicles at Agbara, preventing vehicles from coming or going out of the area.
The placard-carrying youths also blocked the Expressway at Badagry roundabout preventing travellers from going to Seme border or Lagos.
Also, students of Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education, Ijanikin, joined the protest en masse to block the road all the way to Agbara, while some were seen playing table tennis on the expressway.
At Iyana-Era and Iyana Ishashi, some hoodlums also blocked the Badagry expressway, using the protest to extort money from commercial motorcyclists.
There was no single police check along Badagry-Agbara expressway which had up to 15 checkpoints before the protest.
Ovi Kuponu, one of the coordinators of the protest, told newsmen that the youths in Badagry and Agbara came out to protest deplorable state of the expressway and bad governance.
“Youths have come out today to tell Nigerians that this is the best time to rewrite the history of the country.
“Today the protest have received support from everyone, as you can see, everyone came out, market men and women from Agbara and Morogbo markets have come out to support us.
“Commercial drivers and commuters, plying the roads have parked their cars to support us.
“What we are telling the government is to fix Badagry Lagos expressway,” said the protester.
Lagos State Government is responsible for the Iganmu – Okokomaiko section of the highway, while FERMA is handling Okokomaiko – Agbara axis of the road.
Also, the Federal Government on October 24, 2018 awarded the reconstruction of the 46km Agbara – Seme section of Badagry expressway to CGC Nigeria Limited at a sum of N63.2 billion.
The contractor had since abandoned the project.
