Curfew in Warri, Obasanjo may visit

Delta State Governor James Ibori has imposed a dusk-to-dawn curfew in the troubled eastern oil city of Warri, news reports said. The curfew, announced Sunday, is effective from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. The measure has been taken amidst heavy shooting and destruction of property by rampaging youths armed with bazookas, grenades and automatic rifles, ‘The Guardian’ newspaper of Lagos reported on Tuesday. Ibori warned security agents had orders to “shoot on sight”. Fighting raged last week when Ijaws invaded an Itsekiri town of Arunton near Warri, forcing frightened city residents to flee, many of them airlifted by local and foreign oil firms. ‘The Guardian’ described Warri on Tuesday as “a ghost town”. Despite the curfew and constant patrols by security forces the youths still manned road barricades on Monday, smashing vehicles and frightening people entering areas they control.