BY JIMITOTA ONOYUME

PORT HARCOURT- RESIDENTS of some areas of Port Harcourt were jolted by heavy gun shots that lasted several hours in the early hours of today.

Meanwhile, Governor Rotimi Amaechi in a statement advised residents against panic  saying the shots were from the police.

According to the statement signed by his acting Chief Press secretary, Mr. Blessing Wekina, the police  had to fire the shots to foil a kidnap attempt by some hoodlums around the water side area of the state capital.

“The Rivers State Governor, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi has urged the people of Rivers State, particularly those resident in Port Harcourt not to panic over the shootings heard in the early hours of today Monday June 22, 2009, as it was during the foiling of a kidnap attempt at one of the waterfronts in Port Harcourt by the state Police Command.

“The police is on top of the situation”, Blessing said. Adding that residents should not hesitate to report suspicious characters around them to the police.

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