By Ovie Okpare
Delta State governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, on Thursday declared a 48-hour curfew across the state to contain ongoing #EndSARS protests.
The governor, who had earlier supported the protest, said the peaceful protest has been hijacked by hoodlums.
According to him, the curfew would begin 6pm Thursday (Today).
He spoke when while addressing Government House reporters on Thursday morning.
The presentation of the 2021 budget estimates by Okowa to the House of Assembly, earlier slated for today has been postponed.
The declaration of the curfew is coming on the heels of Wednesday’s night violence that reportedly greeted the #EndSARS protest in the state capital of Asaba.
It was gathered that hoodlums catching on the protest were alleged to have destroyed property around the Koka area of Benin-Asaba-Onitsha expressway.
It was further that alleged that the operational office of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and the multi-million naira beautification garden of the state government were razed by the hoodlums.
Unconfirmed report had it that a yet-to-be identified army officer was also been burnt alive in the area.
Declaring the curfew, Okowa ordered the closure of all public and private primary and secondary schools till November 2, 2020.
It would be recalled that schools had resumed academic activities for first in the 2020/2021 session on October 12 after the COVID-19 induced holiday of over six months.