The thugs were said to have positioned themselves directly opposite the Federal Secretariat in Port Harcourt, intimidating and chasing away protesters.
Thugs have attacked protesters and journalists in River state.
The incident happened on Wednesday.
A Channels Television journalist, Deborah Agbalam was also attacked while she was covering the #EndBadGovernance protest in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
The thugs were said to have positioned themselves directly opposite the Federal Secretariat in Port Harcourt, intimidating and chasing away protesters.
According to eyewitnesses, before the arrival of journalists, two protesters had already been beaten while police officers stood by and did nothing.
The journalists were also said to have been surrounded and threatened by the thugs, who stated they were there to ensure no protest would take place.
The Federal Secretariat on the Port Harcourt/Aba Expressway has been a gathering point for the protesters for the past seven days of the hunger and end bad governance protest.
When contacted, the Rivers State Police Commissioner, Olatunji Disu, expressed concern over the incident, promising a thorough investigation to ensure accountability and prevent future occurrences.
Recall that Rivers State Commissioner of Police, who has visited the protest sites severally in the past days, had ensured that his men remained professional and ensured peace and orderliness among the protesters since the commencement of the protests.
Wednesday makes it Day 7 of the nationwide protest which later turned violent in some northern states.