Youths from Akwa Ibom State protesting over their share of five per cent of the total 13 per cent oil derivation to the state were dispersed with teargas on Tuesday.
Under the auspices of the Ibom Youths Congress, the youths dressed in white and black attires sang war songs and matched through major streets of the state metropolis to the Government House to present their request to the governor, Pastor Umo Eno.
Kemi Filani News gathered that the police officers manning the Uyo Police Area Command near the Government House launched several tear gas canisters, leading to an uproar.
Addressing the protest before the forceful dispersal, Comrade Victor Bassey James, Secretary of the Niger Delta Movement (NDM), lamented that the youths had not been empowered, demanding they be given five per cent out of the 13 per cent oil derivation.
While suing for peace, CP Durosinmi, the Commander of the 2 Brigade of the Nigeria Army, his NSCDC counterpart and the Commissioner in Charge of Internal Security in the state, and other concerned authorities appealed for calm, urging them to retire home, assuring that Governor Uno Eno would address their grievances at the appropriate time.
The Police Public Relations Officer, Mr Odiko MacDon, explained that the teargas incident was borne out of the need to stop hoodlums trying to invade Government House from taking the laws into their own hands.
He said: Well, the truth is that they were addressed by the Commissioner of Police, the Commander of the 2 Brigade, and other sister agencies on the need to be peaceful.
“They were also addressed by the Commissioner for Internal Security, but they insisted they had to access the Government House. That is why a commensurate force was used to disperse them. They have dispersed peacefully, so there’s no need for anybody to worry.”