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By Egufe Yafugborhi, PORT HARCOURT

One person is feared dead, several others robbed and wounded as hoodlums took advantage of the protests over currency redesign hardship to attack residents and motorists in Mile 3, Diobu, Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

The street violence started at the Ikoku Junction, Ikwerre Road axis, Port Harcourt City Local Government Area.

It then spread to the Main Gate of the Rivers State University (RSU), where a body lay lifeless as the hoodlums robbed passers-by and residents.

An eyewitness narrated to Vanguard: “At about 9a.m., I was inside the house when my wife called me at Ikoku. I came out and saw people running, scampering for safety.

“Armed boys were chasing people. I don’t know who they are. Buses and all cars were running confused in all directions. I saw a burning fire at Ikoku Roundabout near the new flyover.

“The boys were looting and mugging people. They were robbing people, collecting handsets, and handbags, and claiming they were protesting because of this money issue.

“But I got confused when some of them started shouting, ‘you say Deygbam no dey here, you say Deygbam no dey here’, suggesting it was a cults supremacy battle in the area.

“Deygbam and Deywell, Rivers’ two most dreaded cults, always clash in Diobu.”

By 9:30a.m., however, Police had taken over the scene and normalcy was restored as the hoodlums pushed towards Mile 2, Diobu.”

Sharing her ordeal, Miss Favour Harcourt, a victim, told Vanguard, “A group of guys came to our bus driver as he was reversing at Ikoku Junction, to run away from the pandemonium.

“They swooped on him, broke his windscreen and started beating him up.

“As I made to come down from the vehicle, one of the guys stabbed my hand, dragged my phone and my wallet and ran.

“As he was going the Diobu Vigilante caught him and recovered my phone. They arrested him.”

Vigilante steps in

Godstime Ihunwo, Chief Security Officer, Nkpolu Oroworukwo Mile 3, Diobu Vigilante told Vanguard, “At about 8:30a.m. on Friday, we received distress calls concerning rampage by hoodlums at Ikwerre.

“We swung into action and intercepted one Paul Saviour who had robbed one Miss Favour Harcourt of her phone and wallet and recovered the item.”

Police patrol teams had arrived in Ikoku to disperse the hoodlums at the time of filing this report with several buses, and vehicles abandoned on the road by their owners, who ran for their lives in the melee.

Meanwhile, at Mbiama, Ahoada West, Rivers boundary with Bayelsa, similar unrest is said to have been occurred as protesters of currency redesign shut the East-West Road to traffic

An eyewitness told Vanguard, “The protesters barricaded the road. But hoodlums are taking advantage, robbing and attacking road users. The place needs Police attention.”