The Government of Akwa Ibom State has declared a curfew that lasts from dusk till dawn in the state. This is in reaction to the recent looting and destruction carried out by thieves who hijacked the #EndSARS peaceful demonstration.
The state government had initially announced a curfew to last from 9 pm on Thursday till noon on Friday but later extended it till 7 am on Saturday, 24th October.
The new curfew which will last from 8 pm to 7 am daily, took effect from Saturday, October 24, till further notice.
In a released statement, the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Ini Ememobong, said that the decision to effect the new curfew was informed by a comprehensive security assessment by law enforcement agencies in the state.
“Though normalcy has returned to the entire State, especially, Uyo the capital city after the expiration of the curfew which was imposed from Thursday night till Saturday morning, there is a prevailing need to sustain the gains of the curfew, by increased strategic surveillance and holistic law enforcement.
“To this end, the Governor has directed that effective today (Saturday), daily dusk to dawn (8 pm – 7 am) curfew be imposed state-wide, till further notice, to help check the movement of the remnants of the undesirable elements who created chaos in our State a few days ago.
“It is also the Governor’s directive, gleaned from the agreement by all youth groups in the State, that all demonstrations and protests be suspended forthwith.
“For emphasis, there will be absolute cessation of movement of persons except those on essential duty, who must bear proper identification. Any person who is apprehended within the period of the curfew will be arrested and prosecuted.
“Additionally, citizens are advised to report any suspicious movement of items suspected to be loot from the raid on business premises, or the assembly of strange or known persons, suspected to be plotting an attack on private or public property, to the security operatives, or call our information hotlines 08129778512, 09018596989,” the statement read.
Ememobong noted that the police had begun the recovery of items looted by the hoodlums, with “the cooperation and collaboration of informants from the communities.”
The Akwa Ibom State Police Command on Friday, paraded 10 suspects arrested for their alleged involvement in Thursday’s looting and destruction of public and private properties in Uyo, the state capital, after the #EndSARS protest was hijacked by hoodlums.
The suspects include Victor Udoeka Effiong, Imedimfon Ime James, Isaac John Udoh, Sunday Michael James, Wisdom Godswill Reuben and Ntiefon Ime Robert.
Others are Akaninyene Abraham Livinus, Imoh Enobong Sunday, Isaac Sunday Udo and Emediong Michael James, a female.
Stolen items worth millions of naira were also recovered from the suspects, including 4 water dispensers, 14 deep freezers, 6 refrigerators, 4 air condition units, 6 flat-screen televisions, 3 gas cookers and 16 bags of rice, 1 printer, chairs, amongst other items.
Addressing journalists at the Akwa Ibom State Police Command Headquarters in Ikot Akpan Abia, the Commissioner of Police, Amiengheme Andrew said the arrests were made possible through the “quick deployment of anti-riot policemen in conjunction with the efforts of sister security agencies such as the Army and the DSS.”
He also commended the state government for its efforts which have restored normalcy in Uyo and the state in general.
“I commend the state government’s timely intervention through the imposition of curfew as I today went round to ensure strict compliance, and we will continue to do so,” Amiengheme said.
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