Suspected hoodlums have set ablaze a section of the secretariat of Emohua Local Government Council in Rivers State.
This is the third local government secretariat that was torched by hoodlums on Monday.
Earlier, some irate youths set sections of Eleme and Ikwerre Local Council secretariats in the state on fire.
The mob invaded the Emohua LGA secretariat after David Omereji, the newly elected chair, his deputy and councillors were sworn in on Sunday.
After the ceremony, hoodlums invaded many LGA secretariats in the state to cause destruction and prevent newly elected officials from resuming their duties.
Some of the newly elected chairpersons and councillors arrived at their new offices to the sight of thick black smoke.
At Obio/Akpor LGA, hoodlums invaded the secretariat and started shooting sporadically to scare away workers.
In a video seen by NEWSMEN, the hoodlums were repelled by armed police officers.
The destruction comes hours after the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun ordered the immediate withdrawal of police personnel from the secretariats of the 23 LGAs of the state.
Police spokesperson in the state, Superintendent Grace Iringe-Koko, who announced the development, said the IGP’s directive “is in line with the commitment of the Nigeria Police Force to ensure neutrality and the smooth functioning of democratic institutions
On Sunday, the state governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara swore in in 23 newly elected local government chairpersons.
The Action Peoples Party (APP) won 22 LGAs in Saturday’s election, while the Action Alliance (AA) was victorious in one LGA.
Fubara’s loyalists joined APP to secure the party’s tickets to contest the election.
At the swearing-in ceremony on Sunday, Fubara said there were plans to perpetrate violence against the elected officials.
The crisis in the state is connected to the feud between Fubara and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Barrister Nyesom Wike.
The build-up to the LGA elections was trailed by controversy which was exacerbated by conflicting court orders and pushback from the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
On 4 September, a high court in the state held that River State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) could conduct the LGA elections using the 2023 voter register.
But on 30 September a federal high court in Abuja barred the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from releasing the voter register to RSIEC.
The court also barred the IGP and the Department of State Services (DSS) from providing security for the elections.
Despite the Federal High Court’s ruling and the withdrawal of security personnel, Fubara said the election would proceed as planned.
