Police disperse Rivers LG workers with teargas, gunshots

The police on Monday fired teargas and gunshots to disperse workers of Ikwere Local Government Area who allegedly arrived to resume work.

The Guardian gathered that police officers with over 11 hilux vans arrived at the Council secretariat on the tip of that workers including women, men, and youths were at the complex set to resume work and fired teargas on the workers, shooting sporadically, a situation which forced the people to scamper for safety.

Some of the workers were said to have sustained threatening injuries while some ran into the bushes.

But the police claimed that those dispersed by police officers were mobs who forced their way into the council complex.

Ikwere Local Government Council is among the three councils that were burnt and attacked on Monday, October 7, 2024, during the Local Government areas’ post-election violence that rocked the State.

Consequently, the state government has set up a commission of inquiry to investigate the arson attacks and killings in the LGAs.

The chief of Staff to Ikwere Local Government Chairman, Richard Henry, who confirmed the police invasion, said, “The police came to the premesis, attacking everyone, shooting on people, civil servants were running helter-skelter.

“They came with 11 hilaux vehicle, yes the matter is before the commission of inquiry, we will resist them.”

The spokesperson of the State Police Command, Grace Iringe-Koko, also confirmed the incident.

She explained that the workers in the affected secretariats are not supposed to resume work until the panel concludes its investigations and recommendations.

“The secretariat is among the affected councils, so we are also waiting for their reports to ascertain the remote cause of mayhem even other affected councils are still closed down so the command was surprised and wondered if the mob had gone there to loot or destroy properties,” she said.

“On hearing that, the police swung into action in a bid to protect properties and save lives in the place.”

Our correspondent gathered that normalcy had been restored to the area.