Gov. Wike Imposes Total Curfew On Parts Of Port-Harcourt (See Affected Areas)

Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has imposed a 24-hour total curfew for two weeks on some parts of Port-Harcourt, the state capital.

The Governor made this known during a broadcast on Sunday where he noted that the curfew begins from Monday 23rd November 2020.

The statement noted that the upsurge noticed by the state government in cases of cult activities, other forms of violence and killings is responsible for the curfew.

Wike in the statement declared that the entire area along and around the Okoro-nodu flyover up to one-kilometer radius from Saint Emmanuel Anglican Church, Rumuokoro, extending to the Rumuodomaya Slaughter and Local Government daily market will be affected, adding that no form of trading, human or vehicular movement is allowed in the affected areas until further notice.

Security agents have also been ordered to ensure strict compliance with the order, Naija News understands.

The statement reads: “The Rivers State Government is seriously disturbed by the recent upsurge of cult activities and related violence and killings around the adjoining areas of the Okoro-nodu flyover in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area.

We have repeatedly warned misguided youths that engaging in cultism is abhorrent anti-social behaviour in our society.

We shall therefore spare no efforts to deal appropriately with anyone who decides to disturb peace and security in our neighbourhoods with cult activities and associated violence and killings.

As part of measures to tackle this menace therefore, Government has imposed a 24-hour total curfew for two weeks on the entire area along and around the Okoro-nodu flyover up to one-kilometer radius from Saint Emmanuel Anglican Church, Rumuokoro, extending to the Rumuodomaya Slaughter and Local Government daily market with effect from Monday 23rd November 2020.

Consequently, no form of trading, human or vehicular movement is allowed within the afore-mentioned restricted areas until further notice.

Only staff and vehicles belonging to Julius Berger Nigeria Limited are exempted from the curfew and associated restrictions on movement so that construction work on the Okoro-nu-Odu flyover is not stalled.

Security agencies are directed to enforce strict compliance with the curfew and arrest and summarily prosecute any person, trader or vehicle that may attempt to violate the curfew.

Again, we wish to warn that community leaders that allow cultism and related activities to thrive unabated in their communities would be treated as collaborators to the resulting crimes and dealt with accordingly.

We urge all citizens to be part of the efforts to curb cultism in the State by reporting any suspicious cult activity, including gatherings and initiations in or around their neighbourhoods to the security agencies for immediate action.