Rivers: Wike stops United Igbo Community meeting

Wike: stops meeting of United Igbo Community in Rivers

By Okafor Ofiebor/Port Harcourt

The Rivers Government on Friday asked security agencies to stop a general meeting of United Igbo Community scheduled for Saturday, April 10, 2021 at Oyigbo in Oyigbo Local Government Area of State

The State Government in a statement by Paulinus Nsirim, Commissioner for Information and Communications said the meeting cannot hold for security reasons.

However, the government was not specific about the security threat.

”Rivers State Government has cancelled the planned general meeting of the United Igbo Community scheduled for Saturday, April 10, 2021 at Oyigbo in Oyigbo Local Government Area because of security reasons.”

“Security agencies have therefore been directed to ensure that the said meeting does not hold to forestall a breakdown of law and order in the area.”

But it was gathered that the attacks may be related to recent attacks on security formations in Imo State and other parts of the Southeast.

The Oyigbo area of Port Harcourt which shares border with Imo State was considered the epicenter of the Indigenous People of Biafra, the group that has been blamed for recent attacks on prisons and police stations in Owerri in Rivers.

Hoodlums suspected to be members of IPOB attacked security formations during which they killed six soldiers and a policeman among other atrocities in the violence that trailed #EndSars protests in Rivers State.

Governor Nyesom Wike had consequently imposed curfew on the area on October 21, 2020.

The curfew imposed in a statewide broadcast by Governor Wike was initially for 24 hours before it was relaxed to 12 hours and is till on till today.