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Port Harcourt Engulfed With Two Separate Protests Against, Police, Army Over Alleged Unlawful Arrests, Detentions

Police allegedly shots teargas, live bullets at students

Protesters march to 6 Division Nigerian Army over alleged detention of Governor Wike’s Aide.

Daniel Efe

Two separate protests and peaceful civil disobediences  took place in Port Harcourt, the volatile state Capital of Rivers State, today, Thursday, March 21.

Nigeria Police today shot teargas at the students of the Rivers State School of Health Technology, Port Harcourt who staged a peaceful protest barricading the entrance and exit of their school gates over what they termed the invasion of their school at about 1.30 am by the Anti-Cult Unit of the Rivers Police Command.

The Police were invited by  School authorities to arrest the students over alleged Cultism and other criminal activities on campus.

The student say that their protest is that their privacy was illegally encroached by forcefully barging into the school campus at about 1.30 am about 15 students were unlawfully were whisked away.

Speaking on behalf of the students, the President of the Students’ Union, Mr. Rosary Braide vowed that the protest will persist until the students were released unconditionally.

According to Braide, “Our anger is that nobody was informed before the arrests. Not even the Students’ Union executive were put into confidence. We are not against the law enforcement agencies from doing their job and neither do we support cultism and criminality on campus, but, we are saying that it should be done within the ambit of the law.”

“We are on a peaceful protest, but we were being shot at with teargas and live bullets. Some students collapsed, others sustained injuries during stampede”, Rosary Braide said.

Another female student said: “One of the students recently discharged from hospital after undergoing appendicitis operation. Another one of them is my classmate and a final year student who will soon start exams. They can’t be Cultists. “

He averred that if they do not protest the arbitrary invasion of the educational space, then their rights to be free to learn unimpeded by Security agencies will be eroded.

Our Correspondent reports that, Police shot teargas at the students even though the protest was relatively peaceful.

READ ALSO: Rivers Guber: Wike Arm-Twists REC To Declare Him Winner Of Elections — Eze

Also, today, scores of persons ,mainly from Akuku-Toru local government area protested in front gate of 6 Division of the Nigerian Army over alleged arrest of  and continued detention of the Chairman of the Rivers State Government Joint Taskforce on Pipelines and Petroleum, Kenneth Dan Opusugi, who  arrested in Port Harcourt shortly after February 23 Presidential election.

The family of the allegedly detained aide of Governor Nyesom Wike claimed that a subsisting court order asking the military authorities to release Kenneth Opusungi had been served to them.

The 6 Division of Nigerian has previously denied having anyone in custody.

It is worthy to note that the in February, the 6 Division of Nigerian Army had declared Mr. Rowland Sekibo, Chairman of Akuku-Toru local government Council and Kenneth Opusungi wanted over the alleged ambush and eventual killing of Army Lieutenant wounding of others.

It would be recalled the 6 Division of Nigerian Army was also accused of kidnapping  a PDP chieftain, Tobotamuno Dick, a lawyer and former Caretaker Committee Chairman of Asari-Toru local government but miraculously surfaced more than a week after denying being arrested by Soldiers.

Tobotamuno Dick however claimed that he dived into the River when he was allegedly pursued by Soldiers and was later rescued by Fishermen who kept him inside their camp in the Creeks.

At the time of filing this report, it was not clear what the reaction of 6 Division Nigerian Army will be to the protesters.

Students of Rivers State School of Health Technology, Port Harcourt, massed in protest over arrest of 11 students about 1.30 am on campus at the Anti-Cultism unit of Rivers Police Command.

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