Photo: The aggrieved protesters at the CBN headquarters Abuja on Wednesday.
Group storms Abuja CBN headquarters, demands Emefiele’s arrest, removal, resignation
A group of protesters on Wednesday stormed the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) headquarters in Abuja, demanding the arrest, removal or resignation of CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele, over the failed new naira notes policy.
The protesters, who were sighted at the premises of the apex bank holding placards noted that Emefiele had inflicted undue hardship on Nigerians which had led to the death of many Nigerians.
The group vowed to occupy the apex bank’s premises until their demands were met.
Addressing journalists, the convener of the protest, George Uboh, said, “We are demanding that Godwin Emefiele in his capacity as the Governor of CBN should make available the new naira notes.
“He must also come out here to address the people because the Supreme Court in its ruling pronounced that the new naira notes policy has caused the Nigerian masses undue hardship.”
He added that the action of the CBN on the monetary policy was tantamount to genocide, stressing that it was not only guns that could be used to commit genocide.
He said their protest was informed by the Supreme Court’s judgment directing the CBN to release the new naira notes.
Ubah described the policy under the watch of Emefiele as “insensitive.”
He noted that they had perfected plan to call for Emefiele’s arrest and prosecution by the International Criminal Court for committing crimes against humanity.
The protest leader added that it was treasonable to have two legal tenders at the same time in a country, and decried how the policy had crippled small businesses in the country.
Some of the inscriptions on the placards read, “Emefiele Must Go”; “CBN Now Bureau De Change”; “Emefiele Bring Out The Names of Those You Gave Our Money To”; “Where Is The 500 Billion You Cried on Tape Is Missing?”; “What Happened To Anchor Borrowers Programme and many others?”
Periscope International reports that security operatives comprising the Police, Nigeria Army and the Department of State Services surrounded the CBN building to prevent any breakdown of law and order.
