There were sporadic gunshots at the Secretariat of Port Harcourt City Council on Tuesday as police dispersed scores of youths protesting.
The youths claimed they were demonstrating peacefully against the immediate past local government council chairmen, who they said refused to vacate office after their tenure expired.
A spokesperson for the group stated that the police began shooting at them as soon as they were spotted.
“We are Ijaw youths here on a peaceful demonstration. We are not here to make trouble, but the police started shooting at us,” he said.
Port Harcourt City youth leader Allwell Ichemanti reported that one of the youths was shot by the police.
He accused the former Chairman of the Council of inviting the police to attack them.
The gunshots caused chaos near the council Secretariat, which is adjacent to the state police command headquarters and Rivers State House of Assembly, as residents and passersby fled for safety.
Attempts to reach State Police Command Public Relations Officer SP Grace Iringe Koko were unsuccessful as her phone was switched off.
However, Commissioner of Police Olatunji Disu had earlier stated that officers had been deployed to various councils to maintain peace
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