The planned eviction of the illegal settlers in Erima in the city of Port Moresby did not occur today as was expected.

The planned eviction at the Erima Wildlife area had been put on hold because of the long Easter weekend coming up, according to the National Capital District and Central Provinces police management.

The Acting Assistant Commissioner of Police, Chief Superintendent Benjamin Turi, confirmed that the eviction will still continue after the Easter break. He said the police respect each individual residing there and want them to celebrate their Easter weekend peacefully. He also confirmed that the police will continue their normal operations in the city to ensure there are no trouble.

"My message to the public and those residing there is to follow the process if you feel that you have been mistreated. We are only doing our job to polish the city. If you feel that the police are too harsh on you, there are avenues from which you can seek help, for example, the courts. We, the police, have to start somewhere to make tough decisions to keep our city clean and safe," Turi said.

He stated that the residents had been advised previously that there would be evictions, and the date was given. He mentioned that the date set was during the Easter weekend, so the management had decided to put the eviction on hold and would resume after that.

Turi said that as law enforcement officers, the police had to make hard decisions to execute the orders that they are asked to carry out. He emphasized that those who reside at the specified location need to adhere to the awareness and vacate the area.