Buhari meets Emefiele, Nigerian Governors Over Naira Scarcity As Protest Against Hardship Spreads 

President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday met with the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, and the Nigerian Governor’s Forum behind closed door.

The meeting which was held at the State House Abuja came amid protests in many parts of the country over the unavailability of Naira notes.

This is even as protests against hardship occassioned by Scarcity of naira notes, fuel continue across the country.

Some banks, like Zenith had to close some of its branches in Lagos and some towns due to physical attacks on both the staff and property.

However, chairman of the Progressive Governor’s Forum, Atiku Bagudu, the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Abdulrasheed Bawa; as well as the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen Lucky Irabor also attended the meeting at the State House, Abuja.

The presence of the CBN Governor, however, indicated the meeting was organised ostensibly to discuss the cash swap policy which has elicited public outcry, particularly from the Governors.

Recall that Buhari had earlier asked Nigerians for seven days to resolve the issue of naira scarcity, even as most Nigerians believe nothing concrete will happen, after the expiration of the seven days as the period may have lapsed then.

Zenith Bank closed some of its branches across the country on Tuesday due to a lack of new naira notes and attacks on its network by desperate Nigerians looking to exchange their old currency for the newly redesigned banknotes.

According to sources, the bank continues to blame CBN for lack of new notes in its Vaults.

On Monday, some branches of the bank in the Lekki/Ajah axis of Lagos were hurriedly shut following attacks from some desperate customers who were unable to withdraw their money from their accounts.

Some video footage on social media showed how the staff of Zenith Bank escaped from the attacked branches by scaling fences to escape mob attacks.

It was further gathered that some banks in Lagos, Osun, and other States shut down their operations as a precaution against mob attacks and asset vandalism.

For the past weeks, Nigerians have suffered from the pain of Naira scarcity.

In Abeokuta the Ogun state capital, Tuesday afternoon, was thrown into pandemonium as protesters stormed the streets to protest shortage of cash and fuel Scarcity.

Eyewitness said bullets were used as police tried to stop the protesters from protesting.

In a video, a young man was seen crying for help after being shot in the arm by the police.
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Moreso in the video, protesters were seen hurling stones at one Automated Teller Machine (ATM) belonging to First Bank and voices were heard at the background saying  ”this suffering is too much in the country”

As at when filing this report the number of those injured could not  be ascertained.

But tension is said to be rising in some state capitals as the youth are said to be gathering to express themselves and to tell government that ‘enough should be emough’ at the level of hardship and derivations.