• More updates on Rivers State of emergency
Heavily armed soldiers are holding Siminialayi Fubara and his family hostage in the Rivers State Government House. Blocking the entry and exit routes, the soldiers reportedly commanded the former Rivers first family to go back when they wanted to leave this morning.
Yesterday, President Bola Tinubu suspended the governor, his deputy and all the members of the state Assembly. He appointed Vice former Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (rtd) to control the oil-rich state as an administrator.
Tinubu cited the lingering political crisis in the state as the reason for his actions.
Immediately after the broadcast, troops of the Nigerian Army moved to the Government House, sealing all routes and trapping Fubara inside.
Prominent Nigerians have since lent their voices as the incident unfolded. A human rights lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, said that Tinubu’s action amounts to abuse of presidential powers. Its generally believed that the president is biased in his attempts to bring peace in Rivers.
Fubara has been rocking horns with Nyesom Wike, the FCT Minister, since September 2023. Wike, who claimed he singlehandedly installed Fubara as governor, still wanted control of the state. The Minister’s critics have accused him of working to take Rivers State simply for Tinubu second-term agenda in 2027.
The results have been fatal conflicts – legal and political. Now, Fubara is going to stay out of powers for six months. But would he be put in prison, too?