Governor Wike has extended the curfew imposed on the state from 7 pm to 6 am, with effect from tomorrow, to curb the tide of attacks on security formations in different parts of the state.
Governor Wike made this known in a statewide broadcast today.
He said the curfew had been reviewed from the earlier time which was to run from 10 pm to 6 am due to new intelligence reports.
The governor said the decision was taken in the wake of multiple armed ambushes on police checkpoints along the East-West road which resulted in the cold-blooded murder of seven police officers over the weekend.
He added that the State Security Council at a meeting reviewed the way and manner the recent attacks were executed and discovered that the perpetrators, who disguised themselves as security officers, moved in unhindered from Oyigbo to launch the attack.
“As a further step towards enhancing our collective safety, we have reviewed the existing night-time curfew across the 23 Local Government Areas, which will now start from 7 pm and end at 6 am until further notice from tomorrow 11th May 2021.
“The security agencies are hereby directed to note the new curfew time, ensure strict compliance and effectively deal with any person or group that violates or attempts to violate it.
“We have reviewed, and for the moment, declined the pressure on the State Government to activate our youth to defend the state from these terrorists because we don’t want to complicate our very delicate security situation by creating opportunities for some other monsters to emerge.”
The governor further explained that security agencies are on the trail of the gunmen who attacked security formations in the state and expressed optimism that the culprits will all be arrested and brought to justice.
“We wish to assure every resident that we are not intimidated by the sporadic and cowardly attacks on predetermined security targets by faceless criminals on our soil; neither will we be cowed into succumbing to a baseless and doomed secessionists agenda.
“We further appeal to the public to understand that security is everybody’s business and play their own roles, especially in passing intelligence information to the law enforcement agencies to process and take pre-emptive measures to counter and advance our collective security.
“Once again, thank you for your cooperation as we continue to work with the nation’s security agencies to keep us safe and secure,” he added.
Meanwhile, the governor said the state will give N20m to the families of each of the 11 police personnel killed by gunmen during recent attacks of police formations in the State.
The governor, who announced this during a condolence visit to the Commissioner of Police, Friday Eboka and officers of the State Police Command today, tasked them to henceforth be on offensive against those who perpetrated these heinous acts.
Governor Wike, while addressing officers and men at the Police Officers Mess in Port Harcourt, said his visit was to commiserate with them over the death of some of their colleagues who lost their lives in line of duty while protecting the State.
He acknowledged that though no amount of money can equate to human life, the State’s gesture is aimed at assuaging the bereaved families that their loved ones never died in vain.
The governor described as heart-wrenching the unwarranted killing of policemen who were legitimately protecting lives and property of citizens of the country.
