The mega protest against insecurity and kidnapping in Abraka, a town in Delta State, has turned violent as men of the Nigerian Army allegedly attacked residents participating in the peaceful exercise.

The army’s deployment in Abraka has escalated tensions, with reports of gunshots fired during the peaceful protest against insecurity and kidnapping.

The situation is volatile, and there are concerns about the use of force against peaceful protesters.

Recall that the youths, numbering over 200, have been on the streets of the university community for over four days in a bid to draw the attention of the state governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, to serial cases of kidnapping in the community.

In a peaceful protest on Wednesday at Police Station Junction in Abraka, the concerned youths expressed frustration over the prolonged and unchecked insecurity that has plagued the university community for more than a decade.

They decried the withdrawal of children from the university for fear of their safety, adding that landlords have also abandoned their homes, becoming tenants in safer regions.

According to the protesting youths, many residents have fled Abraka, leaving behind their investments and ancestral homes. They added that student enrollment is rapidly declining as school dropouts increase, in addition to farming activities that are drastically reducing due to fear of attacks in farmlands.