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Outrage As Army Clamps Down On PDP Chieftains …Women Protest Arrest Of Wike’s Liaison Officers …PDP Demands Release Of Commissioner, Others
The Rivers State Government has accused the Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi and the General Officer Commanding 6 Division, Nigerian Army, Maj-Gen Jamil Sarham, of masterminding the mass arrest of innocent Nigerians and prominent members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state.
The government alleged that the essence of the arrests was to precipitate crisis and cause the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to postpone the elections in Rivers State.
It also alleged that the minister planned to use the vacuum created by the absence of the arrested leaders to rig the governorship election and force a candidate of his choice against the will of the people.
The state government made these accusations in a statement signed by the Commissioner for Information and Communications, Barrister Emma Okah, following the arrest of the state Commissioner for Education, Dr Tamunosisi Gogo-Jaja and his family by soldiers, last Wednesday evening in Port Harcourt.
“We have been saying it repeatedly that the minister of transportation has been commanding the Army in Port Harcourt to do unprofessional things and the crisis are spreading.
“He has been boasting that he has brought soldiers from Sokoto and other states to carry out his political agenda of disrupting or rigging elections on Saturday,” the statement added.
According to the statement, “any arrested person would be kept behind bars till after the governorship elections in the state.
“A lot of prominent persons have been pencilled down for arrest. Some of them are, former governor of Rivers State, Sir Celestine Omehia; former deputy speaker of House of Representatives, Rt Hon Austin Opara; state PDP Chairman, Bro Felix Obuah; elder statesman and former chairman of UBA, Chief Ferdinand Anabraba; Sen Olaka Nwogu; Chief Sergeant Awuse; Sen Lee Maeba; former sports minister, Dr Tammy Danagogo; former transport minister, Dr Abiye Sekibo; former Nigerian Ambassador to South Korea, Amb Desmond Akawor; Prince Emma Anyanwu; the Secretary to the State Government, Sir Kenneth Kobani; Ejor N. Ejor, Prof Blessing Didia, members of Rivers State House of Assembly; PDP candidates and National Assembly members-elect; Alabo David Briggs, all commissioners and special advisers; local government council chairmen, Sen Thompson Sekibo, Chief Adokiye Amiesimaka, etc.
“In the light of this development, the government calls on all PDP members not to be cowed by this development but be vigilant and resist arrest by these people,” the statement added.
Meanwhile, hundreds of women have staged a protest in Rivers State following the arrest of Nathan Menabere, the liaison officer of Governor NyesomWike, in Ogu and six other members of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, in Ogu, Ogu/Bolo Local Government Area of the state, by alleged military men.
The protesters, who appeared in black attires with placards bearing several inscriptions such as, ‘Army Release Our Innocent Brothers’, ‘Stop Raping the Peace of Ogu’, ‘We Say no to intimidation, ‘Oh! Security Agencies, Why the Intimidation?’ demanded the immediate release of the arrested persons. Speaking, leader of the protesting women, Mrs. Christiana Tamunobereton-Ari, disclosed that the military personnel invaded the area around 1:00am, yesterday, broke into homes and picked their victims.
Tamunobereton-Ari, who is the Vice Chairman of the LGA, alleged that the development was political, wondering why there should be arrest when there was peace in the area.
She said: “We are here to let the nation know what is happening in Ogu. We are a peaceful community. Last night some military men came into our community and picked some of our people.
“They broke into their houses and arrested them. They did not even report to the security agencies in our place. As it stands, over seven people have been arrested.
“We are condemning this act of intimidation and we call on the military to stop this unlawful arrested and release our people.”
Meanwhile, Mrs. Fyne Nathan, wife of one of the arrested persons, narrated that the military men invade their home and forced her to open the house door on gunpoint.
In her words: “The military men came to our house while we were sleeping, around 1:00am. They knocked the door and we refused to open the door, because we don’t know who was knocking.
“We asked whom they were, they said they were military men, and I refused to open the door, because it is late in the night. One of the military men opened the window glass and pointed his gun at me to open the door.
“When they entered, they arrested my husband. They broke his head and forced him to follow them. He asked then what his offence was but they shut him up. I am calling on them to bring back my husband.”
However, the Rivers State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has called for the immediate release of the state Commissioner for Education, Dr. Tamunosisi Gogo-Jaja, his family members and the state Co-coordinator of Arise Nigeria, Hon. Benjamin Diri, who were allegedly arrested by the Nigerian Army, 6 Division, Port Harcourt.
A statement by the PDP Rivers State, signed by the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to Rivers State PDP Chairman, Bro. Felix Obuah, Jerry Needam, said Gogo-Jaja with his family and other members of his household were whisked away by a fleet of fierce-looking soldiers who stormed his GRA Phase 3 residence by about 2pm, last Wednesday.
The statement regretted that the military in Rivers have not only usurped the responsibility of the police but have also “been dragged into full-time politics by some anti-democratic elements and enemies of the people,” describing the development as very unfortunate.
The state PDP wondered “what could be the offence committed by the state education commissioner, his wife and children that the Army would abandon their primary duty of protecting the Nigerian territory against external invasion to carrying out the function of the police.”
The PDP said the action of the soldiers of the 6 Division of the Nigerian Army was politically motivated.
“The Army,” the state PDP noted, “should realize that their integrity is at stake as elections will come and go but the Army remains as a national institution.”
Meanwhile, huge protest hit the state, yesterday, as hundreds of women demonstrated on the streets following the arrest of the liaison officer of Governor Nyesom Wike, in Ogu, Nathan Menabere, and six other members of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogu, Ogu/Bolo Local Government Area of the state, by alleged military men.
The protesters, who appeared in black attires with placards bearing several inscriptions such as, ‘Army Release Our Innocent Brothers’, ‘Stop Raping the Peace of Ogu’, ‘We Say no to Intimidation, ‘Oh! Security Agencies, Why the Intimidation?’, demanded the immediate release of the arrested persons.
Speaking, leader of the protesting women, Mrs. Christiana Tamunobereton-Ari, disclosed that the military personnel invaded the area around 1:00am, yesterday, broke into homes and picked their victims.
Tamunobereton-Ari, who is the vice chairman of the LGA, alleged that the development was political, wondering why there should be arrest when there was peace in the area.
She said: “We are here to let the nation know what is happening in Ogu. We are a peaceful community. Last night some military men came into our community and picked some of our people.
“They broke into their houses and arrested them. They did not even report to the security agencies in our place. As it stands, over seven people have been arrested.
“We are condemning this act of intimidation and we call on the military to stop this unlawful arrested and release our people.”
In her remarks, wife of one of the arrested persons, Mrs. Fyne Nathan, narrated that the military men invade their home and forced her to open the house door on gunpoint.
She said, “The military men came to our house while we were sleeping, around 1:00am. They knocked the door and we refused to open the door, because we don’t know who was knocking.
“We asked whom they were, they said they were military men, and I refused to open the door, because it is late in the night. One of the military men opened the window glass and pointed his gun at me to open the door.
“When they entered, they arrested my husband. They broke his head and forced him to follow them. He asked then what his offence was but they shut him up. I am calling on them to bring back my husband.”
Fubara gave the assurance last Friday at the NYSC permanent orientation camp, Nonwa-Gbam, Tai Local Government Area in the State, during the swearing-in ceremony of 2026 Batch B Stream II orientation course.
Represented by the Permanent Secretary, Cabinet Bureau, Office of the Secretary to the State Government, Dr. Promise Oguzie, the governor said the State Government would remain intentional in providing the necessary support to improve the NYSC scheme and enhance the experiences of corps members deployed to the state.
He charged the corps members to be role models and quality nation-builders in their service to the good people of Rivers State in particular, and Nigeria at large.
“I charge you to be exemplary, dedicated and committed in all you do. Take full advantage of all the camp programmes and activities to enrich yourselves”, he said.
In his welcome address, the State Coordinator of NYSC in Rivers State, Mr. Moses Oleghe, urged corps members to see their deployment to Rivers State as a “veritable opportunity to make meaningful contribution to the growth of the State in particular and Nigeria at large.”
He further charged them to serve with all sense of “integrity, discipline, and the fear of God, especially when they will be engaged as INEC ad-hoc staff that will conduct the 2027 general elections.”
A total of 3,584 corps members composed of 1,421 males and 2,163 females were sworn in by the Chief Judge of Rivers State, who was represented by Justice Godspower Aguma.
The Governor stated this yesterday when he received in audience, the World President of the Seventh Day Adventist Church, Pastor Erton Kohler; his wife, Andriene Marques Kohler; daughter Mariana Marques Kohler and a retinue of ministers of the church at Government House, Port Harcourt.
Fubara who hailed the Seventh Day Adventist Church for its contributions to education and the grooming of future leaders in Nigeria, expressed delight that the Church had over the years, been investing in education at various levels and currently runs two universities in the country.
He commended the church for not only using its institutions to spread the gospel of Christianity but to groom future leaders for the country.
According to him, religion should not be just about defending one’s faith, but also making meaningful impact on the lives of the people.
He said that by floating these educational institutions, the church has demonstrated capacity to support Nigeria in the task of producing not only educated people but a breed of God-fearing leaders.
“Our country is where it is today because we lack the fear of God. If you have the fear of God, there should be a limit to what you can do because you understand the supremacy of God. But when God is not in your equation, you’ll go beyond the line and that is what has brought us to where we are today.
“So, I feel very happy that you are contributing to the development of our future leaders in this country. We need the right people being in the right place; prepared properly with good minds; that is what we need, not just in Nigeria but round the whole world.,” he said.
Governor Fubara further observed that the absence of God-fearing people in high places to take the right decisions that could impact positively on the society, has also given rise to other problems such as social inequality, poverty, corruption and criminality. According to him, Nigeria needs a system where the average parent could afford quality education for their children and a guarantee that upon graduation, the average child will have the capacity to compete favourably with anybody, anywhere in the world.
“If we have a situation where the little money that you’re being paid as wage can also afford you quality healthcare and after working at least for 15-20 years, you have a roof over your head, tell me why you should be involved in any kind of crime? At that point, you’ll feel secured and this attitude of insecurity about the future that leads to all the social vices we have today won’t be there,” he said.
Governor Fubara expressed appreciation to the delegation for the visit and for their prayers for Rivers State, assuring them of his continued support for their programmes in the state.
Leader of the delegation and World President of the Seventh Day Adventist Church, Pastor Erton Kohler said he was in Nigeria for a special conference of the church during which thousands of the church’s ministers will be undergoing an empowerment programme to further equip them for the task of herding their flocks and serving the society.
He expressed gratitude to the Governor for the warm reception accorded his entourage, saying the memory of the visit will linger in his mind for a lifetime.
Kohler disclosed that the Church has over twenty -four million (24,000,000) members and more than 182,000 places of worship, spread across 212 countries of the world.
This reaffirms the lawmakers’ commitment to enacting laws and taking legislative actions geared towards the overall development of the State.
The Assembly gave the approval during its Second Legislative Sitting of the Fourth Session held last Friday.
Speaking on the MTEF document during plenary, the House Speaker, Rt. Hon. Martin Amaewhule, noted that by the provision of Section 10(1)(b) of the Rivers State Fiscal Responsibility Law No. 8 of 2010, the MTEF ought to have been laid before the House in September 2025.
Amaewhule explained that traditionally, the document is expected to be presented four months before the commencement of the next financial year and immediately after the expiration of every three-year fiscal cycle.
He, however, stated that in the interest of the State and its people, the House considered it necessary to deliberate on the document, describing it as a precursor to the 2026 Budget Estimates.
The Speaker expressed concern that the year had already progressed significantly before the presentation of the framework.
During deliberations on the document, members examined the assumptions and projections contained in the MTEF and observed that strict adherence to the outlined fiscal parameters would ultimately serve the interest of Rivers people.
The lawmakers maintained that effective implementation of the framework would promote prudent financial management and enhance developmental planning across the State.
Following the debate and positive consideration by members, the Speaker put the question to the House and members voted overwhelmingly in support of the approval of the MTEF.
Meanwhile, during the same sitting last Friday, the House also received a petition from the Chairman of Obio/Akpor Local Government Council, Dr. Gift Worlu.
The petition was presented by the member representing Obio/Akpor Constituency II, Hon. Emilia Amadi.
According to the petition, concerns were raised over an imminent security breach, threats to lives, destruction of property and alleged forceful takeover of property by some lawless persons within parts of the Local Government Area.
Presenting the petition before the House, Hon. Amadi appealed to the lawmakers to revisit the matter and take necessary steps aimed at safeguarding lives and property in the affected communities.
The House is expected to further deliberate on the petition and consider measures to address the concerns raised in order to sustain peace and security in the area.
King Onunwor
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