In a worrying development, suspected thugs have set fire to two local government area secretariats in Rivers State following the swearing-in of new council chairmen by Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
Another one was also attacked with explosives believed to be dynamite.
According to reports, a group of armed hoodlums suspected to be political thugs stormed some local government secretariats, vandalizing property and setting buildings ablaze.
Eleme Local Government Area was the first hit in the attacks that began around 11 a.m. on Monday.
The thugs set parts of the secretariat on fire, vowing to prevent the newly sworn-in chairman from accessing the office.
The office of the chairman of Ikwerre Local Government secretariat, Isiokpo, was also set ablaze by thugs protesting the legitimacy of Saturday’s elections.
Things got more violent at Emohua, where a group of youths attacked the council secretariat just after the newly sworn-in chairman, David Omereji, had inaugurated his deputy, Patient Ebere, along with 14 councillors.
It was reported that the attackers detonated explosives, believed to be dynamite, causing significant damage to the building and shattering property within the premises.
Earlier yesterday, the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, ordered security personnel to vacate the council gates giving the hoodlums free reign to perpetrate the violence.
