Residents have taken to the streets to protest the decision of Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri to impose a dusk-to-dawn curfew in Opu Nembe and dissolve the Chiefs Council.
POLITICS NIGERIA reports that the protesters, who carried placards with different inscriptions, said the curfew was unnecessary and that the community was already peaceful.
They also expressed disapproval of the dissolution of the Chiefs Council, saying it was an infringement on their traditional rights.
The governor’s decision came after a meeting with members of the state security council. The council was concerned about the recent upsurge in violence in the community and felt that the curfew and dissolution of the Chiefs Council were necessary to douse further tension.
The protesters, however, are not convinced. They say that the curfew will only make it more difficult for people to go about their daily lives and that the dissolution of the Chiefs Council will create a power vacuum that could lead to more violence.
