Residents of Port Harcourt, Rivers State were thrown into panic on Tuesday morning following their discovery that combined teams of soldiers, police and civil defence officials have taken over some parts of the state capital.
Investigations revealed that the armed security operatives seized the ever-busy Obiri-Ikwerre Junction (Ozuoba, Rumualogu) to Choba and Education Bus Stop to Agip Junction stopping all vehicular traffic.
The operatives used their patrol vans, used tires and other heavy objects to block the roads to enforce the dusk-to-dawn curfew imposed on the area by the state Governor, Nyesom Wike.
At about 11am, vehicles were not allowed access to the blocked areas as security operatives ordered residents to return home but gave exemption to persons whose identity cards showed they were on essential duties.
Most residents alighted from commercial vehicles and trekked in droves without observing social distancing to their destinations.
Others were seen raising their hands to walk pass the stern-looking security operatives in a manner reminiscent of the days of militancy in the region.
Most of the residents grumbled as they battled to reconcile Wike’s dusk- to- dawn curfew, which they thought would begin from 6pm to 6am and the security operatives’ enforcement of total curfew in the area.
“We heard dusk- to- dawn curfew. But when we came outside, we were not allowed to pass even after 7am.
“Security operatives blocked our roads and most of us were forced to trek. We even raised our hands on approaching their checkpoints,” one of the residents, Obi Pius said.
Wike, in a statewide broadcast, said that the State Security Council reached a decision to impose the curfew following a discovery that they affected areas were violating the government’s directives against COVID-19.
The governor further granted waivers to different categories of persons following the closure of borders and other directives.
He said the restrictive orders would not affect Medical and Pharmaceutical Personnel, Food and Beverages, Essential Oil and Gas Staff, Petroleum Products and Media Workers and Newspaper Distributors.
He said: “All these categories of staff must identify themselves with valid identity cards. With effect from Tuesday March 31, 2020 there will be a dusk to dawn curfew from Obiri-Ikwerre Junction( Ozuoba, Rumualogu) to Choba and from Education Bus Stop to Agip Junction, Ikwerre Road.”
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