Steady gunfire echoed through the air on Tuesday around the headquarters of the Port Harcourt City Local Government Area on Moscow Road, as youths and residents supporting Rivers Governor, Sir Siminialayi Fubara, seized multiple council headquarters. The occupation aimed to prevent local government chairmen and other officials from extending their tenure despite the expiration of their terms.

The protestors took control of the headquarters to block local government chairmen, whose tenures ended on June 17, from returning to their offices. These officials, aligned with Chief Nyesom Wike, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), had threatened to remain in office for an additional six months based on a new section inserted into the local government amendment law by Speaker Martins Amaewhule-led lawmakers. Although the State High Court struck down the controversial section, the chairmen insisted the law remained valid as it was under appeal.

Tensions escalated at the Port Harcourt City LGA headquarters as pro-Fubara youths clashed with a heavily armed police squad attempting to disperse them. The police reportedly fired shots into the air to scatter the protestors, who had set up canopies and chairs, laying siege to the area.

One of the protestors, speaking anonymously, explained they were demonstrating peacefully against the former council chairman, Allwell Ihunda, who refused to vacate his office. “We are Ijaw youths and are here on a peaceful demonstration against those whose tenure have expired but refused to vacate their office. We are not here to make trouble. We are just on a peaceful demonstration, but surprisingly the police started shooting at us,” he said.

Another protest leader, identified only as Ichemanti, claimed that one of the youths was shot by the police. However, Rivers Police spokesperson Grace Iringe-Koko refuted this, stating, “It is not the police that is shooting. Our men have been deployed already to identify and apprehend those disturbing the peace. As I speak to you now, the Commissioner of Police and the Deputy Commissioner of Police are on patrol. Policemen have been deployed there and they are visible. We will ensure nobody takes the law into their hands under our watch.”

In Obio-Akpor, Wike’s local government area, hundreds of youths led by Fubara supporter Amb. Ihunwo Chijoke took over the council’s secretariat, singing in solidarity and asserting their control. Similar scenes unfolded in Eleme, where protestors claimed their chairman had fled to Canada, and in other areas like Oyigbo, Ahoada East, and Emohua, where youths occupied their councils’ secretariats, demanding an end to tenure elongation.

At Emohua, a youth leader emphasized, “This council does not belong to Chidi Lloyd. It belongs to all of us. We don’t have electricity for three years. We are calling on the governor to integrate our council in his political movement. We are here if you want to kill us we are ready to die.”

Pro-Fubara youths in Ogba-Egbema-Ndoni and other local government areas also took over their respective council secretariats, vowing to hand them over only to the incoming interim management teams.

Governor Fubara has reportedly compiled a list of Interim Management Team (IMT) members for the local government areas, which will be forwarded to the lawmakers led by Speaker Oko-Jumbo for screening and confirmation. Some of the proposed IMT chairpersons include Promise Reginald (Omuma), David Omereji (Emohua), Darlington Orji (Ikwerre), Evans Bipi (Ogu-Bolo), Ihunwo Chijioke (Obio-Akpor), and Orolosama Amachree (Asari-Toru).