Godwin Udoh, Asaba
Police in Sapele Local Government Area of Delta State, on Wednesday, shot and injured five persons as women protest over the 14 days lockdown extension imposed by the state government.
The protesters claim that the lockdown was cone without palliative measures.
It was gathered that the protest, which was seem to be peaceful, went violent as men of the Nigeria Police Force and the vigilance group allegedly attacked the protesters, in a bid to dismiss them, by shooting sporadically.
An eyewitness, who spoke to The Nigerian Xpress and identified himself as Oghene said, women and youths, in their thousands, around 7:00am took to the streets in protest against what they described as ‘insensitivity’ of the state government for extending the COVID-19 lockdown for 14 days without palliatives measures for the vulnerable.
It was reported that, on Tuesday, in a broadcast to residents, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa had announced the extension of the sit at home order for another 14-days and also imposed a dusk to dawn curfew across the state to cut down on peoples’ movement.
It was learnt that the women and youths, in defiance of the governor’s order, stormed the street peaceful timber demanding an end to the lockdown, saying that the actions of the state government since the COVID-19 pandemic started lacks human face.
READ ALSO: https://www.thexpressng.com/2020/04/16/covid-19-ncdc-confirms-34-new-cases/
Some of them were chanting ‘we no go gree o, we no go gree’ by some of the women, others chanted ‘freedom, freedom.’
The protesters, in their thousands, were later joined by other residents of the town including artisans, tricycle motorcycle riders, and others.
A leader of the protesters, Mrs. Tina Akpometiro, who spoke to our correspondent said: “We prefer to come outside and die than to be locked indoors.
“We have stayed inside for two weeks we can’t go to the market, we can’t go anywhere, we are hungry, we will not accept this.
“We are hungry and we don’t want food, let us go out and fend for ourselves. We want to go back to our normal lives; we are tired of sitting at home.”
Also another person who speak on the master, a Keke rider who called himself Jonah Ameh said, though the step was in the right direction as they were tired of not being able to feed their families and want an end to the lockdown.
Contacting the Police Public Relation Officer, Mrs. Onome Onovwakpoyeya, who confirmed the incident, said that the injured five persons were receiving treatment in one of the state’s Medical Centre.
