Tension gripped parts of Yenagoa on Thursday morning as dozens of women from the Agudama-Epie community took to the streets, blocking the busy Mbiama-Yenagoa Road in protest over alleged encroachment and destruction of their farmlands by youths from neighbouring Afenka.

Dressed in black and chanting protest songs, the women barricaded the highway with sticks, leaves, and placards bearing bold messages like “Leave Our Land Alone” and “We Depend on Our Farms to Survive.”

The peaceful but forceful demonstration brought traffic to a standstill for hours, as the protesters accused Afenka youths of forcefully invading their land, destroying crops, and threatening their livelihood.

They are demanding urgent intervention from the state government, security agencies, and traditional rulers to avert a potential communal clash.

As of press time, security operatives had arrived the scene to restore calm, while community leaders were meeting to broker peace and prevent further escalation.