Wilfred Alabo-Jack, PortHarcourt
Sporadic gunshots were heard at the Secretariat of Port Harcourt City Council, on Tuesday, as the police scared away protesting youths who had stormed the secretariat.
The youths claimed they besieged the secretariat to stage a peaceful demonstration against the immediate past local government council chairmen for allegedly refusing to vacate office after expiration of their tenure.
According to one of them, immediately the police sighted the protesting youths, they began to fire at them.
“We are Ijaw youths; we are here on a peaceful demonstration against those whose tenure have expired but said they will not vacate their office. We are not here to make trouble but we were on a peaceful demonstration but the police started shooting at us,” he said.
Leader of Port Harcourt City youths, who was also part of the demonstrators at the Secretariat , Allwell Ichemanti, alleged that police shot one of the youths.
Ichemanti also alleged that the immediate past Chairman of the Council invited the police to attack them.
The sporadic gunshots caused pandemonium around the council Secretariat adjacent to both the state police command headquarters and Rivers State House of Assembly.
Residents and passersby scampered to safety.
State Commissioner of Police, Olatunji Disu, had earlier said men of the command had been deployed in all the 23 councils to maintain peace.
Wilfred Alabo-Jack, PortHarcourt
Sporadic gunshots were heard at the Secretariat of Port Harcourt City Council, on Tuesday, as the police scared away protesting youths who had stormed the secretariat.
The youths claimed they besieged the secretariat to stage a peaceful demonstration against the immediate past local government council chairmen for allegedly refusing to vacate office after expiration of their tenure.
According to one of them, immediately the police sighted the protesting youths, they began to fire at them.
“We are Ijaw youths; we are here on a peaceful demonstration against those whose tenure have expired but said they will not vacate their office. We are not here to make trouble but we were on a peaceful demonstration but the police started shooting at us,” he said.
Leader of Port Harcourt City youths, who was also part of the demonstrators at the Secretariat , Allwell Ichemanti, alleged that police shot one of the youths.
Ichemanti also alleged that the immediate past Chairman of the Council invited the police to attack them.
The sporadic gunshots caused pandemonium around the council Secretariat adjacent to both the state police command headquarters and Rivers State House of Assembly.
Residents and passersby scampered to safety.
State Commissioner of Police, Olatunji Disu, had earlier said men of the command had been deployed in all the 23 councils to maintain peace.
