Police warning shots in city of Port Harcourt as angry youths wreck havoc on Wike’s statue.
Youths were seen in a viral video expressing resentment at the immediate past governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, in Port Harcourt, the capital city of the State on Tuesday.
Police warning shots also heard in the city as the outspoken ones among the youths hauled tirades, taking over the Port Harcourt City council secretariat.
The youths demanded the former Council chairpersons in the state to leave office after his tenure expired on Monday.
Governor Siminalayi Fubara, in a broadcast on Tuesday morning, directed heads of local government administration to take over the running of the councils until further directives, said Premiumtimes.
A man in white clothing, in the video shared on X, said they were there to “protect the interest of the governor”.
“The tenure of local government chairpersons have elapsed and we are in the council hall, we came as citizens of Nigeria to protect the interest of the governor,” he said, looking on his both sides as loud gunshots filled the air.
“We are here for peace and tranquillity but the police are shooting at us. The commander is here.”
A different video shared on a blogging website showed a group of young men aggressively bringing down the statue the FCT minister, Nyesom Wike ,at the Obio/Akpor council secretariat.
According to a trusted source, the former chairperson of Ikwerre council, Samuel Nwanosike, in another video, accused Edison Ehie, the chief of staff to Governor Fubara of leading youths to invade council secretariats in the state.
“Rivers State Governor has brought full blown insecurity into the state. They have gone to the creeks, hired gunmen. They are shooting at council chairpersons, shooting at local government councils. They even shot at police operatives,” Nwanosike claimed, who is a loyalist to Wike .
“They are sponsored by the governor and Mr Ehie,” he added.
Speaking on the cause of the incident in the council, Mr Nwanosike also said: “Ikwerre people will sit and wait for the decision of the Court of Appeal that states clearly that status quo should be maintained.”
The incumbent Governor Fubara assured reporters of his determination to fight to regain his full control of the State’s affairs.
“Let me also say this: I’m also aware that there is a grand plan to come and arrest some of our supporters,” he said.
“This time around, you have to pass through me to arrest them because I don’t think there is anything that any of those people following us has done. Rather, they are standing on the side of truth.
