SEVERAL lives were feared lost yesterday in violence at Umuechem community in Etche Local Government Area of Rivers State. The cause was a chieftaincy tussle. Community sources told Sunday Vanguard that there had been tension in the area for long time, and it suddenly snowballed into a crisis yesterday.
Rivers State Police Public Relations Officer, Mrs. Rita Inoma-Abbey, confirmed the clash on telephone to newsmen but declined comments on the casualty rate. She said the State Criminal Investigation Department (CID) was on top of the situation and had made some arrests.
In a related development, hundreds of protesting youths from Ogoni in Rivers State yesterday paralyzed activities at the premises of an Italian construction firm, Gitto Construction Company Nigeria Limited handling a road construction project in the area over what they alleged were hardship caused by the operations of the firm in the area.
The youths from Bodo Community in Gokana local government invaded the area as early as 6.00 am, carrying placards and banana leaves.
The protesters alleged that the Italian firm handling the Bodo-Bonny road were destroying their farms. They also accused the company of failing to sign a Global Memorandum of Understanding.