One person is feared dead, several others robbed and wounded as hoodlums hiding under protest over currency redesign hardship attack residents, and motorists in Mile 3, Diobu, Port Harcourt, Rivers state.

The street violence started at the Ikoku Junction, Ikwerre Road axis, Port Harcourt City Local Government Area (LGA), spreading to the Main Gate of the Rivers State University (RSU) where a body lay lifeless as the hoodlums robbed passersby and residents.

An eyewitness narrated to Vanguard, “At about 9 am, I was inside the house when my wife called me at Ikoku. I came out and saw people running, scampering for safety.

“Armed boys were chasing people. I don’t know who they are. Buses and all cars were running confused in all directions. I saw a burning fire at Ikoku Roundabout near the new Flyover.

“The boys were looting, mugging people. They were robbing people, collecting handsets, and handbags, and claiming they were protesting because of this money issue.

“But I got confused when some of them started shouting, ‘you say Deygbam no dey here, you Say Deygbam no dey here’, suggesting it was a cults supremacy battle in the area. Deygbam and Deywell, Rivers’ two most dreaded cults always clash in Diobu.”

By 9:30 am, however, Police had taken over the scene and normalcy was restored as the hoodlums pushed towards Mile 2, Diobu.

Sharing her ordeal, Miss Favour Harcourt, a victim told Vanguard, “A group of guys came to our bus driver as he was reverse at Ikoku Junction, to run away from the pandemonium. They swooped on him, broke his windscreen and started beating him up.

“As I made to come down from the vehicle, one of the guys stabbed my hand, dragged my phone and my wallet and ran. As he was going the Diobu Vigilante caught him and recovered my phone. They arrested him”.

Godstime Ihunwo, Chief Security Officer, Nkpolu Oroworukwo Mile 3, Diobu Vigilante told Vanguard, “At about 8:30 am, Friday we received distress calls concerning rampage by hoodlums at Ikwerre.

“We swung into action and intercepted one Paul Saviour who had robbed one miss Favour Harcourt of the phone handset and wallet and recovered the item”.

Police patrol teams had arrived in Ikoku to disperse the hoodlums at the time of filing this report with several buses, and vehicles abandoned on the road by their owners who alighted from their vehicles to run for their lives in the melee.

Meanwhile, at Mbiama, Ahoada West LGA, Rivers boundary with Bayelsa, similar unrest is said to have been sparked as protesters of currency redesign shut the East-West Road to traffic

An eyewitness told Vanguard, “The protesters, including the physical challenger, barricaded the road. But hoodlums are taking advantage, robbing and attacking road users. The place needs Police attention.”

Meanwhile, the protests have spread to other states, including Kwara and Oyo. (Largely based on Vanguard reports)

•PHOTO: Passersby at Emenike Junction, Diobu Port Harcourt, grieve over a lifeless body, one of two victims feared dead as hoodlums rampage in the Rivers capital.

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