BREAKING: VIDEO: Fresh Crisis, Protest Rocks Rivers State As Youths Block Major Highway With Coffin, Canopies
A fresh protest against hunger and bad governance on Friday erupted in Rivers State as youths blocked the popular Port Harcourt/Owerri highway.
The protesters mainly youths displayed placards with different inscriptions, chorusing antigovernmental songs.
They also blocked the highway which linked the state with the South East region with a coffin and canopies.
The protesters, who demonstrated peacefully, condemned the poor condition of the highway.
“The protest is against economic hardship and the major road has been blocked, the Port Hacourt-Owerri expressway has been blocked with coffin and canopies.
“We the youths of Ohaji Egbema are protesting against bad governance, against bad roads, lack of electricity, hunger.
“No clean water and lack of electricity in this local government,” a resident told SaharaReporters.
The last report of protests in Rivers State was in the first week of October when at least one person was killed following shootings in Bori, Khana Local Government Area of Rivers State.
The incident had occurred amid escalating violence in protests against the recently concluded local government election in the state.
According to eyewitnesses, gunshots rang out in the vicinity of Bori early in the morning, causing panic as people scattered in different directions.
Earlier, Ibom Focus reported that some political thugs reportedly loyal to the immediate former governor and current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Nyesom Wike, set three council headquarters ablaze.
The affected council areas are Ikwerre, Eleme and Emohua local government secretariats.
Reports indicated that the armed hoodlums masquerading as political thugs had stormed the council headquarters shortly after the police withdrew their personnel.
The hoodlums vandalized properties and set buildings ablaze to prevent the newly elected chairmen from taking over the councils.
The political unrest had widened as political thugs loyal to Wike had set both Eleme and Ikwerre Council headquarters ablaze.
