Tension erupted in the Akenfa-Epie area of Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, on Wednesday after police operatives fired teargas canisters to disperse protesters demanding the completion of an abandoned bridge project that has left their community cut off from the city.
The protesters, made up of youths, women, and elderly residents, had taken to the streets early in the morning, chanting solidarity songs and carrying placards with inscriptions such as Governor, Come and Finish Our Bridge and Government Has Abandoned Us for Four Years.
The bridge, which serves as the only access route linking the Akenfa-Epie community, has reportedly been under construction for several years but appears to have been abandoned by the state government.
Residents said the project’s neglect has made life unbearable, isolating them from major markets, schools, and health centres.
We are frustrated and abandoned by the current administration, one of the protesters lamented in a video clip shared on X (formerly Twitter) by activist @ChuksEricE.
While the governor is busy constructing bridges in other parts of the state, our own has been left unfinished.
In the footage, police officers were seen firing teargas directly into the crowd of demonstrators, forcing many to run for safety.
Canopies and chairs set up by the protesters were scattered as chaos broke out, with some officers seen chasing people through the streets.
As of the time of filing this report, it was unclear whether any arrests or injuries occurred during the incident.
The Bayelsa State Government has not yet commented on the protest or addressed the status of the long-abandoned bridge.
The Akenfa-Epie Bridge, once considered a vital infrastructure project to ease movement within Yenagoa, has now become a symbol of neglect and unfulfilled government promises, deepening public anger over stalled development in the area.
