The ban on night movements at the boundaries of Rivers State has been extended to all parts of the state in all the 23 local council areas.
Gov Nyesom Wike who met only one day after the commencement of the boundary curfew said there are fears of planned attacks on both hard (military) and soft (civilian) targets.
In a broadcast Thursday, Wike said the Rivers State Security Council has thus imposed dusk-to-dawn curfew in the entire 23 local council areas of the state with effect from today (Thursday).
Gov Wike said the decision to impose the dusk-to-dawn curfew on the entire state was taken after an exhaustive deliberation by the State Security Council at the Government House, Port Harcourt, on Thursday.
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The governor recalled that on April 28, the State Security Council, in consideration of the recent murderous attacks on security personnel in Ikwerre and Abua/Odual Local Government Areas, had imposed a night-time curfew on all entry and exit points with Abia, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa and Imo States.
But, after a review of the present security situation, the governor said there are possibilities of further deadly attacks on hard and soft targets across the state.
And to this end, he said it has become imperative for the state government to take further necessary measures to secure our state and safeguard lives and property.
“Accordingly, the State Security Council has, today, after exhaustive deliberation, decided and advised that a statewide curfew on human and vehicular movements be imposed as part of additional measures to prevent the faceless criminals from unleashing their deadly actions,” Wike said.
“Consequently, a night curfew is hereby imposed on the entire 23 Local Government Areas of the State prohibiting any human and or vehicular movement within or any part of the State from 10.00 p.m. to 6.00 a.m. from today 29th April 2021 until further notice,” he said.
The governor emphasised that in taking these and other drastic measures at this time, the state government’s singular intention is to secure the state and guarantee the protection of lives and property.
The governor urged everyone in the state to be vigilant and promptly report every suspicious movement in their neighbourhood to the security agencies for immediate actions.
Investigations reveal that the first night, Wednesday, vehicles massed at the entry points into and out of the state till 6am. The trucks and other vehicles blocked the roads such that there were no passages even if any person had a pass.
Newspaper vans joined in staying at the boundaries till morning, while newspapers printed in Port Harcourt could not leave the state till morning.
