Hoodlums set two council secretariats ablaze in Rivers

The attacks occurred a few hours after the police announced the unsealing of the secretariats of the 23 local government areas of the state.

The local council secretariats in Ikwerre and Eleme in Rivers State have been set ablaze on Monday morning by hoodlums, a few hours after the police announced the unsealing of the secretariats of the 23 local government areas of the state.

The attacks on the secretariats of the two local government areas occurred almost simultaneously and appeared to be related to the just-concluded local elections, which placed Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State in a vantage position politically over his predecessor and current Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike.

Videos and photos circulating on social media show thick smoke coming out of the secretariats’ buildings.

Grace Iringe-Koko, the police spokesperson in Rivers, who announced the unsealing of the secretariats, said that police operatives would be redeployed to them if there was another crisis or breakdown of law and order.

The police and the Rivers State Government have yet to comment on the latest attack.