Rivers Crisis: Community Women Barricade Airport, Passengers Stranded
Women from the Ipo community have blocked the entrance to the Port Harcourt airport.
As early as 7:30 am on Tuesday morning, the women from Ipo which is one of the host communities of the airport, blocked the gate at the airport roundabout, waving placards, singing, wailing, and even cooking at the gate.
Some of the inscriptions on their banner include ‘We Demand Our Citizens Rights’, ‘Ipo Women Peaceful Protest’, among others.
Channels Television gathered that the aggrieved women were trying to get government’s attention to their lack of electricity, good roads, and poor schools despite their community playing host to the airport.
As of the time of filing this report, their actions had caused a buildup of traffic as passengers could not access the airport.
This is the second time this year that the women are protesting.
It would be recalled that they protested on the 27th of March this year, but were pacified by the former Chairman of the Rivers Traditional Rulers Council, Sergeant Awuse.
The development comes as the Rivers State Police Command, on Monday, warned against planned protests by the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees, (NULGE).
In a statement released on Sunday night, police spokesperson, Grace Iringe-Koko, said the police are aware of the protest.
“The Rivers State Police Command has become aware of the planned protest by the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), scheduled for June 24, 2024. While the Command recognizes and respects the right to lawful assembly, it has credible intelligence that this protest will be infiltrated and hijacked by hoodlums seeking to cause disruption and mayhem within the State.
“Consequently, the Command strongly advises the organisers to suspend the planned protest to prevent a possible breakdown of law and order. The Police will take all necessary lawful measures to protect the lives and properties of every resident in Rivers State. The Command has vowed to apprehend and prosecute any person or group that attempts to disrupt the peace,” the statement read in part.
To ensure the safety and security of the public, the Rivers State Commissioner of Police, CP Olatunji Disu, said he had deployed police officers to the secretariates of all 23 Local Government Areas in the State.
“These officers will remain in their respective locations until the threat of disruption of peace is deemed to have ceased,” the statement added.
The NULGE later shelved the protest after police warning.
