Delta State Government has called for calm after some youths suspected to be Internet fraudsters in the Ughelli area of the State attacked officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, leading to the alleged killing of three youths and 12 trucks burnt.
Lifestyle Nigeria reports that on Tuesday, the youths in Ughelli carried out a protest over the alleged arrest of their members by EFCC officials which later turned bloody.
The State Commissioner for Information, Charles Aniagwu, said the state government had ordered for investigation into the matter.
Aniagwu said the call had become necessary to make the people not to act outside the law, stressing that everyone, irrespective of status, was under the law.
He said, “The reason is that the EFCC was a creation of law and could operate anywhere in the country, but such must be done within the law.
“The state government had order an investigation into the issue, to determine whether the EFCC or the youths acted within the law or not.”
Also, the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, DSP Bright Edafe, on Thursday, said 16 suspects have been arrested in connection to the attack.
Edafe said, “During the attack on EFCC officers, 12 trucks were burned down by the youths. Only one person was shot dead according to the DPO. We have arrested 16 suspects and investigation is ongoing.”
The Chairman of Ughelli North Local Government Council, Godwin Adode, on Thursday, declared 6:00pm to 6:00am curfew in the Ughelli metropolis following the youth protest which allegedly led to the death of three persons with goods and properties worth millions of naira destroyed.
Adode expressed disappointment over the situation, saying that he was saddened by the action of the youths.
He said he was not against peaceful protest, but added that it should be carried out in a peaceful manner.
The chairman, therefore, appealed to residents of Ughelli to remain calm and go about their businesses in a lawful manner, assuring them that the security agencies were on top of the situation to bring normalcy back to the town.