GOVERNOR of Rivers State Nyesom Wike, on Monday, extended night curfew across 23 local government areas of the state from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. The action was aimed at curtailing rising attacks on security establishments in the state.

Wike disclosed this in a state broadcast on Monday, saying that the decision was based on the multiple armed ambushes on Police checkpoints along the East-West Road, resulting in the murder of seven police officers last week.

“However, as a further step towards enhancing our collective safety, we have reviewed the existing nighttime curfew across the 23 Local Government Areas, which will now start from 7 p.m. and end at 6 a.m. until further notice from tomorrow 11th May 2021.

“The security agencies are hereby directed to note the new curfew time, ensure strict compliance and effectively deal with any person or group that violates or attempts to violate it,” he said.

He stated the state security council reviewed the methods of the recent attacks and realised that the perpetrators, who disguised themselves as security officers, had moved in unhindered from Oyigbo to launch attacks on the security posts.

“We have reviewed, and for the moment, declined the pressure on the state government to activate our youth to defend the state from these terrorists because we don’t want to complicate our very delicate security situation by creating opportunities for some other monsters to emerge.”

Governor Wike, who consoled the families of the dead officers and the state’s police command for the irreparable loss, declared that the government and security agencies were determined to deploy everything at their disposal to advance the safety and security of lives and property in the state.

“We wish to assure every resident that we are not intimidated by the sporadic and cowardly attacks on predetermined security targets by faceless criminals on our soil; neither will we be cowed into succumbing to a baseless and doomed secessionists agenda,” the governor added.

Gunmen are said to have attacked two checkpoints, one for the Nigeria Customs Service and another manned by officers of the Joint Task Force.

Seven police officers were killed, while the weapons of the security operatives were carted away by the gunmen during the attack.

The ICIR reached out to the Commissioner of Information Nsirim Princewill via phone calls and text messages to ascertain how long the curfew was likely to be extended and measures being taken by the Rivers State government to restore peace in the state.

However, he failed to respond to the text message and did not take calls at the time of filing the report.