They took over the Aba, Oyigbo axis of Port Harcourt, the Rivers
State capital, southern Nigeria, shutting down the Port Harcourt/Aba
expressway.
Over 50 military and police trucks and armoured tanks conveyed
personnel to the busy Eleme Junction interchange to prevent the
protesters from getting to Government House, Port Harcourt, where they
insist they must see Governor Nyesom Wike.
The protest crippled movement of people who have business and social
activities in and around Aba, Oyigbo and the East West road Eleme, Onne
Axis that is host to two major Port Harcourt refineries, Indoroma-Eleme
Petrochemicals, Onne Ports Oil and Gas Free Zone that has over 100
companies located in it.
Vehicular movement was stalled at the Eleme Junction interchange
where there is a heavy presence of combined team of military, police and
other security agencies.
At the time of this report soldiers and policemen deployed at First
Artillery at Okporo road had started firing both teargas and life
bullets to scare the protesters.
There is confusion everywhere as people scamper in all directions to avoid being hit by stray bullets.
An eyewitness said that “thousands of protesters coming from Aba,
Abia State seem to have overwhelmed the security men who are reluctant
to use maximum force. Please nobody should dare come near Aba Port
Harcourt/Expressway or Okporo road. As I call you now, I am speaking
from where I am taking cover to avoid stray bullets from obviously
infuriated security men who are being dared by pro-Biafra youths from
Aba who had grounded business and social activities in the commercial
city of Aba.”
Another eyewitness said as “I talk to you now the protesters are
daring the security men. The protesters should go to their states in
Abia, Imo, Anambra, Ebonyi and Enugu states and stop disturbing the
peace of Port Harcourt. If they are protesting against the arrest and
detention of Nnamdi KANU, the Director of Radio Biafra, they should go
and protest in Abuja, not Port Harcourt.”
Wenada Weli, another eyewitness said: “The pro-Biafra protesters have
right to protest but we, Rivers people who don’t support Biafra should
be allowed to go to their various business places.”
The last major protest of the pro-Biafra youths on Tuesday October
20, in streets of Port Harcourt saw the arrest of 20 youths who
allegedly tore Nigerian flags and were charged with treasonable felony
offence which attracts capital punishment.
Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers had descended hard on protesters who
disrupted social and economic activities in Port Harcourt, the Rivers
State capital, on Tuesday 20 October under the platform of the
Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, warning against such insidious
actions again by anybody or group in the state.
Wike who was peeved by the protest by members of the IPOB in Port
Harcourt, warned that such demonstrations will no longer be tolerated by
his administration.
Insisting on the indivisibility of Nigeria, which he swore to
protect, the governor said the actions of the IPOB members are capable
of causing chaos in the state.
The Governor who gave the warning in statement issued by his Opunabo
Inko-Tariah, the immediate past Senior Special Adviser on Media and
Publicity, said that “as the Chief Security Officer of the state who
swore to protect life and property, he will not tolerate actions that
will lead to a breakdown of law and order in the state.”
Dissociating himself and the state from the protest, Governor Wike
warned that the coercive legal machinery will be set in motion against
any group that will disrupt the peace in the state.
He enjoined residents and all those transacting businesses in the
state to go about their lawful duties, assuring them of safety. However,
IPOB members disregarded the Governor’s warning and embarked on another
massive protest that has now paralyzed the state.
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