At least, two persons were feared dead in a clash between youths from Egi community in Rivers State and security personnel guarding a facility belonging to an oil servicing firm.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports said that youths from Egi community in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area went on protest at Ponticelli, a subsidiary of TotalFina Elf, located in the area.
A spokesman for the Rivers State Police Command, Mr. Akin Fakorede, confirmed to NAN in Port Harcourt on Tuesday that two youths died at the end of the clash.
Fakorede explained that youths from the community had gone to the Ponticelli, a subsidiary of TotoFina Elf, to protest against the death of an indigene and an employee of the company on November 8.
He said the employee died of natural sickness but that the youths alleged that the company did not take proper care of the deceased before he died.
Fakorede said, “While protesting, some of the youths apparently became agitated and attacked one of the military personnel, who was posted to protect the facility.
“In the course of the attack, the weapon was allegedly snatched forcefully from a soldier, who was also injured and the weapon was taken away into the community by the protesting youths.
“In a bid to recover the weapon, a young man died. We do not know his full identity yet, but we know that one person died in a bid to recover that weapon.
“Let me also mention here that the crisis degenerated into destruction of property, several vehicles were burnt and equipment belonging to the company, which was of very high value, were vandalised by the rampaging youths.”
Fakorede said one other youth died in the community after the clash and that normalcy had been restored to the area.