The Rivers state Police Command says it has restored normalcy after suspected members of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) allegedly burnt trucks belonging to Dangote Industries Ltd.
The command’s Spokesman, DSP Nnamdi Omoni, confirmed the development to newsmen in Port Harcourt today.
It was not immediately clear the reason for the attack, but a witness, who simply identified himself as Tony, said the incident might be connected to the Sit-At-Home order declared by IPOB.
The witness said the secessionist group might have carried out the act because its sit-at-home order was defied by some residents of Oyibo Local Government Area of Rivers.
Omoni said the incident took place in the early hours of today at the highly populated Oyibo town that shared border with Port Harcourt.
He said: “Our personnel working on intelligence that we gathered yesterday (Thursday) confronted them (IPOB members) and thereafter took over the place.
“We have not been able to ascertain the extent of damage; but we do know that members of the proscribed IPOB were there this morning.
“We are still assessing the situation, and at the end of the day, we will come up with what really happened in terms of the damage.
“However, it is important to note that we have restored normalcy to the area (Oyibo),” he said.
The police spokesman said that no suspects had been arrested while promising to inform the public on the outcome of the operation.
Col. Aminu Iliyasu, spokesman of 6 Division, Nigerian Army, Port Harcourt, said the army would respond by assisting the police only when the incident escalates.
“So, for now, we are not involved,” he said.
Meanwhile, in an interview with some of the south-easterners residing in Rivers state on why they did not observe the sit-at-home order by IPOB, they said they cannot achieve anything by being idle as they have to put food on the table for their families.
