Youths with Coffin block East-West road protesting against Agip Company

Daniel Efe/Port Harcourt

Travellers were trapped in gridlock for several hours on Tuesday by protesting youths from Ekpeye Kingdom in Ahoada West Local Government Area of Rivers State who blocked Mbiama-Ahoada axis of East-West Road with a Coffin.

The youths who led by the President of Igbuduya Youths Federation, of Okobe Community, Comrade Ifeanyi Madu, said they blocked the ever busy East-West road in a peaceful protest against one “Mr Brown”, a non-indigene of Ekpeye kingdom accused of allegedly cornering Agip Pipeline Surveillance contract.

They also lamented  the lack of basic amenities and alleged neglect of Nigerian Agip Oil Company in their community and one keeps tormenting their people, thereby instigating violence that resulted to burning of houses, and Motorbikes.

The protesters gave Seven days ultimatum to Agip to immediately remove of Mr. Brown as the Contractor to avoid rebellion against the Company.

Eyewitnesses told our Correspondent that it took several hours of negotiation and appeals before travellers were allowed access to ply the ever busy Trunk A federal highway.

“The situation was hellish. We decided to go through the East-West road to avoid the lockdown of the entire South Eastern path of Nigeria through the Sit-at-home order by proscribed Indigenous People Of Biafra, IPOB, who were protesting against the visit of President Muhammadu Buhari to Imo State, which coincided with appearance of Nnamdi Kanu, the IPOB Leader in Court.”

At the time of filing this report it was not possible to get the reaction of Agip Oil Company concerning the allegations and protest.