LAGOS residents, on Thursday, engaged in panic buying of Premium Motor Spirit (petrol) and cash withdrawal from Automated Teller Machines (ATMs)
When the Nigerian Tribune visited some banks locations and filling stations at Airport Road, Oshodi, Abule Egba and Ikeja, motorists were seen buying PMS in jerry cans, while unending queues persisted at ATM locations.
Nigerian Tribune spoke with some motorists who said the rising tension generated by the forthcoming presidential election prompted their action, saying they were not certain of what would happen after the election.
"Already, there was shooting and vandalism of properties at Oshodi in the early hours of today (Thursday) before law enforcement agents intervened and calmed the situation," a motorist told Nigerian Tribune.
Some bank customers said though they had stocked their houses with food items, there was the need to hold enough cash.
A top banker at one of the new generation banks, who confirmed the upsurge in withdrawal, said the development was more noticeable in residential areas.
Nigerian Tribune gathered that some filling stations had already stopped selling fuel, as they were afraid of attack by hoodlums.
Meanwhile, travellers have been leaving the country, in view of anxiety over the outcome of the election.
Also reports had it that various motorparks in Kano were, on Wednesday, besieged by people, especially non-indigenes, who were eager to travel out of the state to their respective states of origin.
Fares were increased by 20 per cent, as there were a few vehicles to convey the large number of passengers.
