There was pandemonium on Tuesday as police officers repelled attacks from some youths of Ijaw extraction at the residence of the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Martins Amaewhule.
The incident led to the injuries of most of the youths who invaded Amaewhule’s residence.
Amaewhule and 24 members of the House of Assembly had opposed the state governor, Siminalayi Fubara and moved for his impeachment.
The youths were first seen occupying the entrance to the building but later tried to pull down the gate and gain forceful entry into the compound.
In a viral video, the Chairman of the Nigeria Youth Council, Rivers State chapter, Amb Ihunwo Chijioke, could be seen leading the protest while referring to Amaehule as a former speaker.
Chijioke had threatened that the youths would burn down the house if the Speaker failed to vacate the residence within two hours.
He said: “Greatest Rivers youths, we are here because the former Speaker, Martins Amaewhule, has been impeached. We are here as Rivers youths to tell him to vacate his official residence because he has been impeached.
“If not we are going to destroy this building because it was built by Rivers State money. He has been suspended and he should go back to his house. We have a new speaker, Edison Ehie. I appeal to everybody to remain calm because they must leave.”
Confirming the development, the spokesman of the Ijaw Youths Council (IYC) Worldwide, Bedford Benjamin, said the youths had no intention of attacking Amaewhule’s residence.
Bedford said: “We condemn in strong terms the sporadic shooting at peaceful protesters at the factional speaker’s residential area in Rivers state. One person is feared dead from the shooting, and many others sustained gun wounds and other degrees of injuries.
“We demand the unconditional release of the chairman of Rivers State Youth Council and the numerous Ijaw youths that are being arrested and detained unlawfully. Peaceful protests are backed by law, and anybody who is bent on usurping the will of the people will be resisted by the people.
“We urge those saddled with the responsibility of maintaining peace and stability in the state not to play politics in the discharge of their duty as that can lead to further dangerous outcome.
“The IYC calls on the federal government to step in immediately before the outcome disrupts the economy of the state and by extension the nation. We cannot afford this level of civil criminality in a democratic system.”
