There’s apprehension and tension in Rivers State as explosions and protests rock the garden city, a day the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, ordered an immediate unsealing of all LG secretariats three months after the police took over.
This comes a day after the state Governor, Sim Fubara, swore in the newly elected council chairmen after the election on Saturday.
The controversial elections produced 22 winners on the platform of the All Peoples Party (APP), who are Fubara’s associates and one seat won by the Action Alliance.
The governor insisted that the election must go ahead despite protests from the FCT minister, Nyesom Wike, and his associates, who control the Rivers State chapter of the PDP.
Both Fubara and Wike, once political associates, are locked in a fierce political struggle over control of state resources, which has impacted negatively on governance.
But as the council Chairmen resumed on Monday, the secretariat of the Eleme LGA in the state is on fire, as buildings and vehicles were set ablaze following an explosion from a device suspected to be dynamite.
It was gathered that the newly elected Chairman, Brain Gokpa, in company with his councillors and supporters, arrived at the LG secretariat and discovered that some buildings in the complex were on fire.
The police were yet to release any statement on the development, which had sparked fears of possible violence across the state.
Also, the Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni LGA has been invaded by protesters not allowing the newly sworn-in chairman to resume office.
Similarly, hoodlums have attacked the Ikwerre Local Government Secretariats amidst serious shooting close to the secretariat.
It is not clear as of press time if the shooting is related to the resumption of office by the council chairmen.