Hundreds of youths opposed to the planned #October1 protest gathered in Port Harcourt on Tuesday morning, creating a tense atmosphere in the Rivers State capital.
According to The PUNCH, the gathering began around 8 a.m., with the youths converging near the Federal Secretariat and the Pleasure Park—two locations that had previously hosted the ten-day-long #EndBadGovernanceProtest in August.
By mid-morning, the crowd had grown significantly, occupying the stretch between the Federal Secretariat and Hotel Presidential along Aba Road. Law enforcement presence was heavy, with five police patrol teams, soldiers, and operatives believed to be from the Department of State Services monitoring the area closely.
As of 10 a.m., over 200 anti-protesters had assembled at the site, with their numbers steadily increasing.
One of the youths, who requested anonymity, explained their purpose, “We are not protesters. We are waiting for those who want to protest so that we can stop them.”
At the Pleasure Park, another group of around fifty anti-protesters had gathered. Three canopies were set up near the park’s entrance, and some of the youths sat beneath them, while others rested on nearby slabs.
The group was cautious, warning journalists not to take any photographs of their gathering.
It was learnt that there was a tense moment near the Federal Secretariat, where five young men were arrested.
The reason for their arrest was unclear, but their shirts were removed before they were loaded into a mini-bus by security operatives.
Despite the growing presence of anti-protesters, there were no signs of actual protesters as of the time of reporting. However, more youths continued to arrive at the scene.
The planned protest, organized by the ‘Take It Back Movement’ for Nigeria’s Independence Day, had sparked widespread anticipation.
One of the movement’s leaders, Andy Akpotive, had earlier urged citizens to participate, stating, “It is time to be counted and say no to bad governance and hold leaders accountable.”
Efforts to get a statement from the spokesperson of the Rivers State Police Command, Grace Iringe-Koko, regarding the arrests were unsuccessful. She did not respond to calls or messages at the time of filing this report.
In a statement issued late Monday, the police had warned against any protests that could lead to unrest.
The statement, signed by Grace Iringe-Koko, emphasized the importance of maintaining peace and noted that officers had been deployed across Port Harcourt to prevent any breakdown of law and order.
The police, while stressing that their presence was not to intimidate anyone, made it clear that they would be monitoring for potential miscreants.
“We urge all residents to refrain from participating in any activities that may disrupt lawful proceedings and infringe upon the rights of law-abiding citizens in Rivers State,” the statement read.
The police further advised parents and guardians to discourage their children and wards from joining any protests, adding that necessary actions would be taken to maintain peace.
“We kindly request that parents and guardians counsel their children and wards against participating in any protests. The police will take necessary and lawful actions to prevent any breakdown of law and order,” the statement concluded.
Despite the warnings, the organizers of the October 1 protest remained resolute in their commitment to hold the event, calling for mass participation to address the ongoing governance challenges in the country.
