Youths from Akwa Ibom State protesting the share of 5 per cent of the full 13 per cent oil derivation to the state, had been dispersed with teargas on Tuesday.
The youths, below the auspices of Ibom Youths Congress, wearing white and black attires, sang conflict songs and matched by means of main streets of the state metropolis to Government House to current their request to the governor, Pastor Umo Eno.
It was gathered that the law enforcement officials maning the Uyo Police Area Command, close to the Government House, launched a number of canisters of tear gas, resulting in pandemonium.
Addressing the protest earlier than the forceful dispersal, Comrade Victor Bassey James, Secretary of the Niger Delta Movement (NDM), lamented that the youths haven’t been empowered, demanding that they be given 5 p.c out of the 13 p.c oil derivation.
While suing for peace, CP Durosinmi; the Commander of the two Brigade of the Nigeria Army, his NSCDC counterpart and the Commissioner in Charge of (*13*) Security within the state, and different involved authorities, appealed for calm, urging them to retire residence, assuring that Governor Uno Eno would deal with their grievances on the acceptable time.
The Police Public Relations Officer, Mr Odiko MacDon, defined that the teargas incident was borne out of the necessity to cease hoodlums making an attempt to invade Government House from taking the legal guidelines into their very own palms.
He stated: Well, the reality of the matter is that they had been addressed by the Commissioner of Police; the Commander of the two Brigade, and different sister businesses on the should be peaceable.
“They were also addressed by the Commissioner for Internal Security, but they insisted that they had to access the Government House. That is why a commensurate force was used to disperse them. They have dispersed peacefully, so there’s no need for anybody to worry.”
