By Helen Okechukwu, JKNewsMedia Reporter
BARELY SEVEN hours after the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, ordered the unsealing of 23 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in Rivers State, several secretariats were attacked and set on fire by unidentified assailants.
This violence has thrown the state into shock, with residents expressing fear over rising tensions.
Earlier in the day, protesters blocked some of the local government secretariats, demanding the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) comply with legal orders.
The tension escalated when pro-Wike supporters in Omoku/Egbema/Ndoni LGA attempted to prevent the newly elected council chairman from entering the premises.
A video circulating on social media showed the chairman and his supporters marching toward the secretariat.
In Emouha, Ikwerre, and Eleme LGAs, the situation worsened as secretariats were set ablaze.
Fire was seen engulfing the buildings, and reports suggest that cars parked in Eleme were damaged by suspected dynamite explosions.
Obio/Akpor LGA, the political stronghold of former governor Nyesom Wike, also experienced chaos.
Gunshots were heard outside the secretariat, forcing residents to flee.
In Ahoada East LGA, where Edison Ehie, the Chief of Staff to the Rivers State Governor, is from, gunfire erupted, leaving three people with gunshot wounds.
Despite the violence, reports indicate that peace has been restored in some affected areas.
The police are yet to release an official statement on the incidents.
Residents remain concerned about the escalation of violence and the risk of further attacks on state facilities if the unrest is not brought under control.
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