There was a heavy security presence in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, on Tuesday, as palpable tension gripped the city amidst the nationwide #October1Fearless protest.
The protest is a follow-up to the #EndBadGovernance protest, during which youths took to the streets in various states across the country for 10 days in August.
While monitoring the protest situation, it was observed that youths suspected to be anti-protesters had gathered in large numbers at the Federal Secretariat and Pleasure Park, the same locations where the August protesters had convened.
Although the suspected anti-protesters were not mobile or engaging in any demonstrations, as their numbers increased, so did the number of security personnel stationed at these locations.
Security operatives, including officers of the Nigerian Police,
Nigerian Army, Civil Defence, and other agencies were also seen patrolling the state capital.
Despite the heavy security presence, our correspondent reports that businesses continue to operate smoothly, with commuters and vehicles moving freely, and no violence or breakdown of law and order witnessed at the time of filing this report.
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