8th August, 2024
By Okafor Ofiebor/Port Harcourt
Rivers Commissioner of Police Olatunji Rilwan Disu, has confirmed the arrest of three hoodlums who disguised as protesters but were caught stealing Point Of Sales, POS, machines from operators during the ongoing #Endbadgovernance protest in the state.
He also revealed that intelligence reports had indicated that hoodlums had hijacked the protests with some of them forcing businesses to close, stealing wipers, erecting barricades and coercing people to join the protests.
In the same vein, the Police Commissioner confirmed the deployment of the army, navy, air force combat personnel and officials of Department of State Services, DSS, to strategic locations in the State to forestall a breakdown of law and order.
Our Correspondent reports that for the eight days the #Endbadgovernance protest has been on, the Federal Secretariat housing some federal agencies in Port Harcourt, the state capital had been under lock because protesters had been using there as a point of convergence.
However, counter-protesters stormed the place yesterday, Wednesday and disrupted the protest causing stampede.
A visit to the Federal Secretariat today, Thursday, August 8, showed counter-protesters loitering and keeping vigil to disrupt any further protests.
Meanwhile, Stanley Job Stanley, the Rivers State Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists has condemned reported attacks on journalists and genuine protesters by suspected hoodlums.
Stanley said journalists should be allowed to do their job, while protesters should be allowed to ventilate their concerns about how governance is affecting them without being visited with violence.
However, it was also observed on Thursday that business activities have started picking up as owners of shops who shut their shops out of precautions had opened.
