By Samuel Ogenyi,Uyo
Akwa Ibom State government has imposed an indefinite dusk to dawn curfew throughout the state in a bid to discourage further destruction of properties and curtail the movement of looted items during last Thursday’s carnage by hoodlums in Uyo.
This is after the state police command apprehended 10 suspects for being in possession of looted items from government and private properties destroyed during the incident and also recovered several looted items.
A statement from the state information commmissioner Comrade In Ememobong on Saturday in Uyo explained that the curfew would last between 8pm and 7am daily adding that the decision was taken after a review and assessment of the security situation in the state.
“Though normalcy has returned to the entire State, especially, Uyo the capital city after the expiration of the curfew which was imposed from Thursday night till Saturday morning, there is a prevailing need to sustain the gains of the curfew, by increased strategic surveillance and holistic law enforcement.
“To this end, the Governor has directed that, effective today, a daily dusk to dawn (8pm~7am) curfew be imposed State-wide, till further notice, to help check the movement of the remnants of the undesirable elements who created chaos in our State few days ago.
” It is also the Governor’s directive, gleaned from the agreement by all youth groups in the State, that all demonstrations and protests be suspended forthwith.” The statement said.
It attributed the recovery of looted items currently being executed by the Police to the cooperation and collaboration of informants from the communities and advised citizens to report any suspicious movement of items suspected to be loots from the raid on business premises.
It further warned that persons apprehended within the period of the curfew would be arrested and prosecuted
