...Despite the death of 12 persons amidst the protests
The #EndSARS protest on Monday took a turn for the worse as business activities, vehicular and human movement in Osogbo-Ogbomoso, Lagos, Ibadan, Ado Ekiti, Benin, Akure, parts of Delta and others were halted as it expanded to a protest against bad governance.
Many businesses closed in Lagos with protesters taking over most parts of the state. Major roads, including the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Oshodi Expressway, Gbagada, Surulere, and Lekki Toll Gate were blocked as protesters increased in number.
Many residents, workers and business owners also joined the demonstrations.
Osun youths block bridge, Osogbo-Ogbomoso road
Osun youths across the three communities of Ilobu, Ifon and Erin-Osun on Monday stormed the one-way Ojutu bridge on Erinle river in Ilobu in continuation of EndSARS protest in the State.
The bridge, which is a link between Osogbo, the three communities and Ogbomoso in Oyo state.
The Youths trooped as into the place as early as 7am to block the single lane bridge for almost an hour. This led to a heavy gridlock on the road.
After several persuasion, the protesters left the bridge and started a burn fire opposite the Ilobu Divisional Police station located less hundred meters to the bridge.
The protesters were demanding the ban of Special Anti-Robbery Squad and the newly created Swift Action and Tactical Team.
Speaking with newsmen, the President of Ilobu National Student Union, Kamaldeen Tiamiyu said the protest was by the youths of the three communities as a way of lending their voices to the ongoing movement against the brutality of SARS operatives in the country.
The President of Federation of Ifon-Orolu Students Union, Taoreed Abdulazeez and his counterpart from Federation of Erin-Osun Students Association, Solomon Oyeleke both said the protest was organized by youths in the three communities to join the the national struggle.
Lagos State Secretariat, Alausa, Ikeja, and shut the premises preventing workers from entering. They locked all the entrances to the secretariat and turned back motorists and pedestrians from the premises.
Many businesses, offices and companies along Ikeja and Ogba were shut.
They also locked down Awolowo Road, Ikorodu Road, LASU-Iba Road by Isheri-Roundabout, Egbeda-Idimu Road and several others in Lagos. Protesters shut down Jakande Estate, Oke-Afa and Isolo.
Some youths in Epe Division of the state turned the Epe/Ibeju-Lekki Expressway to a football field and other games, but effectively blocked the highway to deny vehicular movement as the protest continued.
As a result, commuters were stranded at bus stops as few commercial buses were on the road.
In Ibadan, Oyo state
Equally, across the city of Ibadan, major roads, including link roads, were blocked as early as 5 a.m.
With the blockade, many road users, who had set out early to beat the protest were caught up in traffic jam, resulting into many workers getting to their offices late.
The youths were seen carrying placards with different anti-SARS inscriptions.
At the Bus-Stop area of Gate, some youths were seen blocking the Oje-Gate road, threatening motorists who dared to clear the road.
At about 10a.m., scores of youths had already gathered in front of the State Secretariat, Agodi, with the main gates locked by security operatives manning them.
Although the youths allowed vehicles to move freely, they were, however, forcing motorists to shout the #EndSARS slogan, but major roads at the Orita-Challenge axis of the town were blocked as early as 5a.m.
With the roads blocked, many people, who, for one reason or the other, had to go out decided to trek.
Although shops were locked, a few hawkers were seen carrying out their trade without any form of interruption.
The banks along the Orita-Challenge axis did not open, while those along the New Gbagi area of Ibadan opened.
The situation was similar at the Apata/Omi-Adio end of the town, as protesters marched the road, subjecting both pedestrians and motorists to hardship.
Transport fares across the different routes in the city were hiked by taxi drivers and commercial motorcyclists, otherwise known as 'okada', leaving commuters stranded or having to trek.
Due to the protests, some private schools around Mokola axis did not open as some students were seen roaming about the streets.
In Ado Ekiti
Likewise, most business activities were brought to a halt in Ado Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital, as protest by youths took a new turn.
The protesting youths, in their hundreds took over every corner of the state capital for hours, forcing both human and vehicular movements to a standstill.
As early as 7:00a.m, the rampaging youths who ignored an earlier police warning issued on Sunday, following an attack on a police facility in the state, took to the streets barricading every inter-state and inter-city roads of the ancient city in wild protest.
Virtually all the strategic roads in the metropolis were blocked by the youths, comprising students, motorcycle riders, commercial drivers, civil society bodies and other unemployed individuals.
Major areas affected in the latest onslaught include the old and new Garage area, Oja Oba, Fajuyi Park, Okeyinmi, Ijigbo, Basiri, Matthew area, Ajilosun, as well as the overhead bridge linking Ado Ekiti with towns in Oyo, Osun and Lagos states.
Many pupils and students in public and private schools were prevented from proceeding to their schools due to heavy blockade of all access roads.
In the same circumstance, those who had earlier resumed in schools were hurriedly asked to return home to prevent being caught in the web.
Also, scores of civil servants, who were on their way to work became stranded on the way while some of them were seen returning home in frustration.
In Benin city
Similarly, banks in Benin, Edo shut down operations over the inability of their staff to access their duty posts.
#EndSARS protesters had as at 6:00a.m. blocked major roads within the Benin metropolis, preventing vehicular movement.
The roads are Oluko-Isihor-Ugbowo-Uselu, Ring Road-Sapele, Ring-Ekehuan, Aduwawa-Akpakpava, Airport, among others.
Security men at the various banks visited along the Ugbowo and Uselu market axis of the state said that they had to shut down due to the absence of their staff.
A bank customer, Miss Tina Jeremie, expressed displeasure over her inability to withdraw money from the bank.
"I had to trek from Isihor to Ugbowo over 30 minutes to withdraw money from UBA at UBTH, but the bank was shut.
