#EndBadGovernance Protesters Storm Wike’s Home, Attack Motorists, Traders In Rivers

•Warn traders to stay off Oil Mill market on Wednesday

Emmanuel Nlewedum, Port Harcourt

As the nationwide #EndBadGovernance protest in Nigeria enters its 6th day on Tuesday, angry protesters in Rivers State stormed the Port Harcourt residence of the Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, to register their frustrations over the high cost of living, hardship and hunger experienced by the people.

The protesters carrying placards with various inscriptions and chanting “Tinubu must go, Akpabio must resign, Wike must go”, defied the heavy security present at the FCT Minister’s premises and occupied the road in front of Wike’s mansion, while many sat on the ground.

Our Correspondent reports that all Hyper City Supermarkets across Rivers State rumored to be owned by the FCT Minister, has been taken over by heavily armed uniformed men to prevent it from being destroyed by the protesters.

On the same note, the hunger protest which had remained peaceful in Rivers State till the fifth day, took a different dimension as the protesters issues a serious warning to traders within and outside the state to stay clear of the popular Oil Mill Market tomorrow or have themselves to blame.

This is just as the protest on Tuesday turned violent around Rumuigbo and Rumuodumaya axis of the state as protesters attacked motorists destroying their vehicles and compelling business owners and traders to shutdown in the areas.

The protesters also blocked vehicles from moving freely without plucked leaves across the state, while there was a total shutdown of vehicular movement and businesses around the Rumuokoro roundabout.

The irate youths who carried tree branches, Nigerian flags and repeatedly chanted “hungry dey,” “Tinubu must go,” were however contained by police some officers stationed at the roundabout led by the Divisional Police Officer of Rumuokoro Division.

The incident however caused heavy traffic at the Rumuodumaya-Rukpokwu-Port Harcourt International Air Port Road, Ikwerre Road and the East West Road as vehicles were forced to stop and wait for over an hour as the youths repeatedly circled the roundabout with their vehicles, tricycles and motorcycles, chanting anti-government slogans.

One of the protesters at Rumuokoro told Daily Champion that they were doing their best to ensure that the protest continued to remain peaceful and not hijacked by hoodlums.

He said they were not interested in stopping anyone from going about their lawful businesses.

“We are protesting against bad governance in Nigeria, we, the youths of Nigeria are hungry and that is why we are doing this peaceful protest. We promised Sim Fubara that we are going to protest peacefully in Rivers State, so far no casualty, no destruction of properties and that’s what we have done.

“We passed Wike house not long ago, the CP sent his boys there and they saw us passing peacefully, we did not throw a stone, we did nothing.

“We are not stopping anybody from doing their business, the only thing is when you see us passing, close your shop, after we pass, you can open your shop.”

Meanwhile, a commercial bus driver who was attacked by some suspected hoodlums, told our correspondent that his vehicle window glasses were destroyed at Rumuodomaya, near Rumuokoro roundabout.

He said, “They broke my window glasses at Rumuodomaya, I was conveying passengers from Rukpokwu to Rumuokoro.

“The incident happened around 3pm, the protesters blocked from Rumuigbo junction to Rumuokoro, it was at Rumuodomaya that the boys started hitting my vehicles and scattered my shifting glasses, some passengers who panicked ran out of the bus for their safety, while others remained inside.”

Our correspondent who went round the city to monitor the protest observed that Police vans and armoured personnel carriers were positioned at strategic locations to tackle any possible breakdown of law and order, even as police officers escorted the protesters as they marched through the streets and road in the state.