A REVIEW of the security in Port Harcourt in the last two weeks informed yesterday an indefinite extension of the restrictive order by the Rivers State Government.
Time of the restriction has, however, been brought down to nine hours, from 9pm to 6am. In the past fortnight, the curfew covered 7pm to 6am, that is 11 hours.
Residents of Port Harcourt are not alone, as Ekpan in Delta State has also suffered an indefinite extension- from 10pm to 6am.
The Rivers State Government in conjunction with the Joint (Military) Task Force (JTF) reviewed the security situation. extended the curfew in the city indefinitely but reduced the time from 9pm to 6am.
The government has also appealed to men of the JTF to show respect and courtesy to law-abiding citizens in the city, following complaints of gross human rights abuse by the security agents.
Two weeks ago, Governor Celestine Omehia, imposed a dusk-to-dawn curfew in Port Harcourt and its environs following the outbreak of violence between two rival gangs in the state, who engaged in gun battles.
The Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Okey Wali, explained in Port Harcourt yesterday the governor noted that security improved following the curfew. Wali also lauded residents of the city for their co-operation, despite the excruciating condition they are being subjected to daily.
Consequently, he said the curfew has been reviewed to last from the 9pm to 6am till further notice. According to him, “this will aid the consolidation of the success of the last two weeks. Government regrets the difficult but necessary decision, as it is geared to ensure the safety of lives and property in the state.”
While seeking the co-operation of the people of the state, the government also appealed to the security agents, who are trying to restore law and order in the troubled city, to show courtesy and respect to the citizenry.
Security agents on Monday stripped a girl half-naked at the Port Harcourt Prisons junction for what they described as indecent dressing. Apart from this incident, residents have daily been subjected to abuse by the security agents who, without provocation, unleash beating and punishment on passers-by at the various checkpoints around the city.
The militant group, the Joint Revolutionary Council (JRC) has described the situation in Port Harcourt as a “pseudo state of emergency.” According to its spokesperson, Cynthia Whyte, “women and children are bearing the brunt of the failure of government to truly protect them. Young girls are being raped on a daily basis by armed-to-the-teeth security men, who have utilised the prevailing circumstances for their own satanic and perverted benefits.”
President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua on Thursday ruled out any emergency rule in Rivers, saying the condition was not ripe for such declaration. He spoke to 11 members of the National Assembly from the state, who visited him at the State House.
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