Suspected hoodlums set ablaze local government secretariat in Rivers

Suspected hoodlums have set ablaze a section of the Eleme Local Government Area secretariat in Rivers State.

According to Channels TV, a newly elected chairman, Brain Gokpa, came to the LG secretariat accompanied by his councillors and supporters but discovered that some buildings in the complex had been set ablaze.

In a video shared by reportres, a man alleged that the suspected hoodlums were sent by Nyesom Wike, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) minister and former governor of the state.

Meanwhile, it was gathered that there is a palpable fear of a potential outbreak of violence in some LGAs of the state.

Some disagreement were said to have ensued in the Ahoada East of Rivers State following lifting of the three-month ban on the Local Government Area secretariats by the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun on Monday.

Ahoada East is the L.G.A of the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Edison Ehie.

A statement by the Command’s spokesperson, Grace Iringe-Koko earlier on Monday morning, had directed the re-opening of all the 23 LGA secretariats in the state.

The newly deployed Commissioner of Police, CP Mustapha Bala acting on the orders of the IGP, Kayode Egbetokun ordered the immediate withdrawal of all police personnel previously deployed to seal and safeguard the council secretariats in the state.

The secretariat was sealed in June following the disagreement between the Caretaker Committee Chairmen loyal to Governor Siminalayi Fubara and the immediate past local government chairmen, who were loyalists of Wike.

Governor Siminalayi Fubara had sworn in 23 newly elected local government chairmen in the state.

The exercise held at the Executive Council Chambers of the Government House in Port Harcourt, the state capital on Sunday, comes a day after the Rivers State Independent National Electoral Commission (RSIEC) conducted an election at the grassroots.

There was also an initial report that some individuals had attempted to barricade the Port Harcourt City LGA secretariat earlier on Monday, when the Chairman, Ezebunwo Ichemati tried to access the council secretariat.

The crisis was, however, allegedly foiled when the men sighted the chairmen, councillors and supporters arriving at the council.

Ichemati was later seen supervising the clearing of overgrown grasses and cleaning of the council and other facilities within the premises.