Sit-at-home Protest: Police And IPOB Members Clash In Rivers

Posted by Thandiubani on Fri 14th Sep, 2018 - tori.ng

Men of the Nigeria police in Rivers state have clashed with IPOB members allegedly burning trucks in the state.

Nigeria police

The Rivers Police Command says it has restored normalcy after suspected members of Indigenous People of Biafra allegedly burnt trucks belonging to Dangote Industries Ltd.

The command’s Spokesman, Deputy Superintendent of Police Nnamdi Omoni, confirmed the development to the News Agency of Nigeria in Port Harcourt on Friday,

It was not immediately clear the reason for the attack, but a witness, who simply identified himself as Tony, said the incident might be connected to the Sit-At-Home order declared by IPOB.

The witness said the secessionist group might have carried out the act because its sit-at-home order was defied by some residents of Oyibo Local Government Area of Rivers.

Omoni told NAN the incident took place in the early hours of Friday at the highly populated Oyibo town that shared border with Port Harcourt.

He said: “Our personnel working on intelligence we gathered yesterday (Thursday) confronted them, IPOB members, and thereafter took over the place.

“We have not been able to ascertain the extent of damage; but we do know that members of the proscribed IPOB were there this morning.

“We are still assessing the situation, and at the end of the day, we will come up with what really happened in terms of the damage.

“However, it is important to note that we have restored normalcy to the area (Oyibo),” he said.

The police spokesman said that no suspects had been arrested while promising to inform the public on the outcome of the operation.

Col. Aminu Iliyasu, spokesman of 6 Division, Nigerian Army, Port Harcourt, said the army would respond by assisting the police only when the incident escalates.

“So, for now, we are not involved,” he said.

(NAN)