Youth Protest Shuts Port Harcourt Airport Road as Community Demands Ban on Northern Okada Riders

Tension flared in Igwuruta, Ikwerre Local Government Area, on Thursday as youths blocked the Port Harcourt International Airport Road, demanding an immediate ban on commercial motorcycle operations by northern riders, popularly referred to as “Aboki” riders.

The protest followed the killing of Mr. Nchelem Samuel Festus, Secretary of the Omuolu-Omunwei Community, who was reportedly murdered on February 10, 2026.

In a communiqué read during the protest, the Igwuruta Community Youths condemned the killing, describing it as a “heinous act” that has shattered the peace and security of the community. The group alleged that northern motorcycle riders were responsible for the incident and linked them to a pattern of criminal activities in the area, including rape and kidnapping.

The youths issued four key demands:

An immediate ban on all commercial motorcycle operations by northern riders within Igwuruta

Closure of scrap dump sites allegedly operated by the same group

Arrest and prosecution of those responsible for Festus’s killing

Immediate evacuation of farmlands by cattle herders

They also gave security agencies a 48-hour ultimatum to act on the demands, warning that failure to do so would force the community to take “necessary measures” to protect lives and property, while still pledging to act within the confines of the law.

As of press time, the police had not released any official statement on the killing or the protest.

The situation has heightened anxiety among residents, with community leaders and locals calling for urgent investigation and increased security presence. Observers warn that if not properly managed, the crisis could escalate ethnic tensions and disrupt commercial and social activities in the semi-urban community, which serves as a key الرابط between Port Harcourt and surrounding hinterland communities in Ikwerre and Etche areas of Rivers State.