In a bid to disperse protesting Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) ad-hoc staff that participated in last Saturday’s Local Government Elections, a middle aged woman, late Wednesday, collapsed, and many sustained injuries as police fired tear gas canisters to clear the way for workers and others who were held hostage by the protesters to go home.
The lady, whose name was not immediately known, collapsed following excess intake of tear gas while  others  sustained injuries as they scampered for safety.
The ad-hoc staff, who participated in the election, were protesting the failure of RSIEC to pay them their allowances.
The aggrieved protesters blocked the main gate of the commission by 12noon, and refused visitors and staff to either go in or come out, demanding that if their money was not paid, nobody will leave the premises.
The Commissioner in-charge of Media and Communications, Ms Ibiso Dakuro, and Hon Kenneth Ikpebea’s efforts to calm the protesters down did not yield fruit as they adamantly demanded their allowances.
The commission, sources said, had paid some few local governments, including Abua, Ikwerre, Port Harcourt, and Obio/Akpor,  and had asked those from other local governments to come back on Thursday (yesterday), but the protesters refused, and demanded for their money.
Even journalists, who were at the commission to cover an event, were not allowed to leave to file their reports.
 A journalist with the Radio Rivers, Mr Ibituru Pepple, who went outside the office where the press conference was held to take fresh air, was forced to run back into the premises after the Aba Road stretch of the commission had been barricaded.
By 8.00pm when it was obvious that the protesters were not ready to leave, the police opened fire on the protesters in a bid to scare them away.
In the stampede that ensued, many sustained injuries while a lady collapsed and fainted.
She was assisted by a Good Samaritan, who took her to a nearby hospital.
The Tide gathered that as the protesters scampered to safety, motorists plying both sides of Aba Road made U-turn to avoid being caught in the web of police fire.
The Head of the security at the RSIEC had earlier told The Tide reporter, who was also held hostage for nine hours, that if the protesters refuse to vacate after pleading, they have no other option than to resort to force.
The ad-hoc staff were those who worked at various local government areas during the last local government elections.