Tension gripped the Akenfa-Epie area of Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital, on Wednesday as police operatives fired tear gas canisters to disperse residents protesting the abandonment of a major bridge project in their community.
The protesters — including youths, women, and elderly residents — had taken to the streets in the morning to demand the completion of the abandoned bridge, which serves as the community’s only access route. They claimed the prolonged neglect had left them isolated and cut off from other parts of the city.
It was gathered that the bridge, under construction for several years, appears to have been abandoned by the state government, prompting residents to stage the protest to draw attention to their plight.
In videos seen by SaharaReporters and shared on X (formerly Twitter) by activist @ChuksEricE, protesters could be seen waving placards and chanting solidarity songs with inscriptions such as “Governor Come and Do Our Bridge” and “Government Has Abandoned Our Bridge 4 Years.”
“We’re frustrated and abandoned by the current administration,” one protester lamented in the video. “While the governor is busy constructing bridges in other parts of the state, our own bridge has been left unfinished.”
The peaceful protest, however, turned chaotic when police officers fired tear gas canisters directly at the demonstrators, who had set up canopies and chairs along the roadside. The scene quickly descended into confusion as protesters fled for safety, with some officers reportedly chasing residents through the streets.
As of press time, it was unclear if anyone was injured or arrested during the clash, and the Bayelsa State Government has yet to release an official statement on the incident.
