Hyacinth Chinweuba/Agency Report
Several members of Indigenous Peoples of Biafra,(IPOB)has ignored police and Governor Nyesom Wike ban marching through major roads of Port Harcourt, in one massive protest.
The procession started from the Aba,Oyigbo axis of the oil city, shutting down the Port Harcourt/Aba Expressway.
Over 50 military, Police trucks and armoured tanks were mobilized to the busy Eleme Junction interchange to block the movement of the protesters, said to have poured in from neighbouring Abia State, to Government House as their leaders insist they must see Governor Wike, who had warned them to keep off the state.
The protest reportedly crippled movement of people who have business and social activities in and around Aba,Oyigbo and the East West road Eleme,Onne Axis that is host to two major Port Harcourt refineries, Indoroma-Eleme Petrochemicals, Onne Ports Oil and Gas Free Zone that has over 100 companies located in it.
Vehicular movement was restricted at the Eleme Junction interchange where there is a heavy presence of of the Military,Police and other security agencies.
Soldiers and Policemen have been stationed at first Artillery at Okporo Road and were said to have fired both teargas and life bullets to scare the protesters, making people running helter-skelter.
An eyewitness said that: “Thousands of protesters coming from Aba,Abia state seem to have overwhelmed the security men, who are reluctant to use maximum force in spite of armoured tanks.
Please nobody should dare come near Aba Port Harcourt/Expressway or Okpororoad.As I call you now, I am speaking from where I am taking cover to avoid stray bullets from obviously infuriated security men who are being dared by youths from pro-Biafra youths from Aba who had grounded business and social activities in the commercial city of Aba”.
” As I talk to you now, the protesters are daring the security men.The protesters should go to their states in Abia,Imo,Anambra, Ebonyi and Enugu States and stop disturbing the peace of Port Harcourt,Rivers State. If they are protesting about the arrest and detention of Nnamdi Kanu,the Director of Radio Biafra, they should go and protest in Abuja,not Port Harcourt”.
Wenada Weli another Eyewitness said “The pro-Biafra protesters have right to protest but we, Rivers people who don’t support Biafra should be allowed to go to our various business place
The last major protest of the pro-Biafra youths on Tuesday October 20, in Port Harcourt led to the arrest of 20 youths who allegedly tore Nigerian flags and were charged for treasonable felony.
Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers had rebuked the protesters who disrupted social and economic activities in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, on Tuesday 20 October under the platform of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, warning against such protest again by anybody or group in the state.
Wike who was peeved by the protest by members of the IPOB in Port Harcourt, warned that such demonstrations will no longer be tolerated by his administration.
Insisting on the indivisibility of Nigeria, which he swore to protect, the governor said the actions of the IPOB members are capable of causing chaos in the state.