A peaceful protest against the rising cases of kidnapping and armed robbery in the university town of Abraka, located in Ethiope East Local Government Area of Delta State, turned violent on Monday as demonstrators clashed with security forces. There was however no casualty.
The protest, largely organized by concerned residents and students, began peacefully with participants carrying placards bearing inscriptions such as “Delta State Government, Come to Our Rescue,” “Say No to Kidnapping in Abraka,” “We Are Not Safe,” and “We Need Operation Keep Delta Safe Now.”
However, tensions escalated when the demonstrators reportedly blocked the main Abraka road to draw attention to their plight. According to an eyewitness, the situation took a dangerous turn when a Nigerian Navy bus transporting officers attempted to pass through the barricade.
“The protesters initially tried to remove the barricade to allow the vehicle through, but their actions were apparently misinterpreted by the security personnel. In the ensuing confusion, some of the operatives opened fire, leaving several protesters wounded,” the witness recounted.
In a separate account, another eyewitness reported that the confrontation intensified when some protesters attempted to stop a convoy of SUVs allegedly carrying high-profile individuals accompanied by armed security operatives.
“They tried to halt the vehicles and got into an altercation with the escorts. Some even tried to wrestle the security details. That was when shots were fired, and some people were injured,” the source claimed.
As of the time of filing this report, neither the Nigerian Navy nor the Delta State Police Command had issued an official statement regarding the incident or the number of casualties.

The incident has sparked outrage across social media platforms, with many calling on the Delta State Government and security agencies to investigate the use of force during the protest and to urgently address the growing insecurity in Abraka.