Tensions in Rivers State have escalated as a militant group, the Niger Delta Rescue Movement, threatened to attack oil installations in response to the ongoing political crisis and the alleged withholding of the state’s federal allocation.
The group also issued a warning to non-indigenes in the state, urging them to leave for their safety, as they claimed hostilities were imminent.
In response, the Rivers State Police Command vowed to crack down on any threats to national security, insisting that no group has the monopoly on violence.
The Commissioner of Police, Olugbenga Adepoju, assured residents that security forces were prepared to contain any disruptions, warning that law enforcement would not tolerate attempts to destabilise the state.
Adepoju dismissed the threats by the militants or others, saying the police were equal to the task.
He stated, “You see, we are taking this thing one step at a time. There is nobody that has a monopoly of violence. If fire is coming from heaven, it will not consume only one person, definitely everybody will be consumed.
“So, nobody can threaten anybody, we are handling the situation the way we should and we are ready for anything that is going to come.
“All eyes are on Rivers State now. I don’t think there is any problem here really, but we will not allow anybody to heat the polity.
“You cannot fight the government and the governor himself has been handling the situation very maturely and well. So nothing will happen. The man on the ground (governor) is peaceful and God is on the throne and we are equal to the task.”
The state has been experiencing a political crisis since 2023, while the latest Supreme Court judgments validating the 27 lawmakers loyal to the former governor and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, created another round of political crisis.
The Supreme Court, on Friday, February 28, 2025, affirmed the legitimacy of the Martin Amaewhule-led House of Assembly and nullified the local government election held on October 5, 2024.
The apex court also ordered the seizure of all allocations to the state, asking Fubara to re-submit the budget to the Assembly.
Since the judgments, the Amaewhule-led Assembly has, through its sittings, threatened the Fubara’s administration in the state to affirm its authority.
On Monday, it gave the governor 48 hours to submit the budget while on Wednesday, it nullified the appointment of all commissioners and other appointees of the governor and asked the governor to submit appointees’ name for screening in 48 hours.
The budget ultimatum expired on Wednesday, while the submission of names of commissioners for screening would expire today.
Reacting to the threat, a viral video circulating on social media on Thursday shows about eight militants armed with AK-47s and other assorted rifles in a forested area, chanting war songs and vowing to disrupt oil production unless the Federal Government intervenes to resolve the political impasse.
The chant of “asawana, asawana,” a common slogan among the Ijaw people of the Niger Delta, is heard as the militants brandish their weapons in the video.
The militants accused the Martin Amaewhule-led state House of Assembly of instigating chaos to justify a state of emergency.
A supposed leader of the group read a letter: “We the Niger Delta Rescue Movement wish to express our deep concern regarding the recent development in Rivers State, threatening the smooth governance of our beloved state under the leadership of Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
“It has come to our attention that certain individuals proclaim as lawmakers have issued a 48-hour ultimatum to the state governor to present the 2025 state budget.
“This blatant attempt to destabilise the state is not only alarming but also a clear attempt at a coordinated effort to incite hell, potentially to lead to a state of emergency or even an impeachment.
“We call on President Bola Tinubu to intervene immediately and put a stop to the action of Minister Nyesom Wike and his associates whose intent is to drag Rivers State to avoidable crises.”
He further warned “Furthermore, we must make it abundantly clear that the youth of Rivers State will not sit idly while our state is dragged into tumult.
“If the federal allocation due to Rivers State cannot be released promptly, we will have no choice but to take decisive action, including hitting oil production.”
The video lasted for slightly over three minutes, as the militants said, “We can’t generate money into the federation account and not have our own share.
“Our workers deserve their salaries, our government needs the necessary resources to carry out essential development projects.
“We urge all non-indigenes in Rivers State to consider their safety and leave the state promptly as the situation may escalate.”
Govt, APC speak
Reacting to the threats, the spokesperson of the All Progressives Congress in the state, Chibike Ikenga, noted that the Nigerian state had what it would take to contain any situation.
Ikenge further described the threat by the militants as unnecessary, given that the governor, who they claimed to be defending, had promised to abide by the Supreme Court judgments.
He stated, “Those who are issuing threats know that it is criminal to do so. This is a political disagreement which will be settled and has been settled by the Supreme Court.
“The person who they claimed they are speaking for has said he is going to implement the Supreme Court judgments without reservations. So it makes a mess of what they are saying,
“The 48-hour ultimatum given to the governor, is it about impeachment? It is not. It is about the presentation of the budget in furtherance of the implementation of the Supreme Court judgment.
“The governor has also written, through the Secretary to the State Government to the Assembly, claiming that it did not receive the letter.
“So those who are wielding guns, threatening to blow up oil installations cannot stand the state. The Nigerian state is more powerful than what they are contemplating.”
The Commissioner for Information and Communications, Joseph Johnson, insisted that an official response from the government would come on Friday (today).
On the threats by the militants, Johnson said he could not respond because he neither knew the people in the video nor who they represented.
“We have refused to make any categorical statement on the issue. Again, we said by Friday, we would give an appropriate response.
“We have seen one or two videos and we don’t know who they are. So we can’t speak on what we don’t know about,” he said.
Jackrich denies militancy
Dissociating himself from any link with the militants, the governorship candidate of the National Rescue Movement in the 2023 election, Amb Sobomabo Jackrich, at a news briefing, clarified that the video and the militants have no link with him or his party.
He stated, “My attention has been drawn to a recent video circulating online, purportedly released by a group identified as the Niger Delta Rescue Movement, threatening to resume hostilities in response to the 48-hour ultimatum issued to Governor Siminalayi Fubara by the Martin Amaewhule-led Rivers State House of Assembly.
“I wish to make the following clarifications regarding this video. One, no link between my party and the group. I’m deeply concerned about the name of the group as it bears a striking resemblance to my political party.
“Being the leader of the party, the National Rescue Movement in Rivers State, I categorically distance my party from any link, affiliation or connection with the group.
“The NRM remains a law-abiding political party committed to democratic principles and peaceful engagements,” he said.
Jackrish, who is the leader of the ‘Simplified Movement’ in Rivers State, a pro-Fubara political pressure group, stated, called on security agencies to remain vigilant and not fall for the deceitful antics of those seeking to frame him for their selfish political gains.
The ex-governorship candidate, who is also a sub-contractor with the Tantita Security Service Nigeria Ltd, further said the militants in the video had no link with the security outfit.
He explained, “In the video, I observed that one of the individuals was wearing yellow rain boots, a black polo, and jeans – an attire similar to that worn by personnel of my outfit of the Tantita Security Services. I’m a sub-contractor to Tantita Security Outfit.
“Our colour which is known in Rivers State, is black long sleeve, black jeans or trousers and yellow rain boots.
“The team leads are putting on red berets and the members wear black berets. That is our outfit. Now if you look at the video you will see that some persons wore yellow rain boots, which struck my attention,
“And that is what I’m trying to correct, that we are not into such criminal activities. So I dissociate myself from them. I don’t know the people.”
He also exonerated the defunct Niger Delta Liberation Force, saying that members of the group were currently under the Presidential Amnesty Programme and no longer into militancy.
“As a leader of the defunct Niger Delta Liberation Force, it is my responsibility to also exonerate the group from seeming semblance in the name of the said militia group, because the NDLF currently is under the Presidential Amnesty Programme and no longer into its old ways,” he said.
While noting that his support for Fubara should not be criminalised or turned into an offence, Jackrich said, “I will continue to stand by what is right and no amount of intimidation will deter me from my convictions.”
Ex-minister backs Fubara
Former Minister of Transport, Dr Abiye Sekibo, called on the President to support Fubara, amid the ongoing political tensions in the state.
Sekibo appealed on Thursday while inaugurating the Borokiri Fire Service Sub-Station in Old Port Harcourt Township.
He revealed that he and other political leaders abandoned former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to support Tinubu due to Fubara.
Seeking respite for the governor, Sekibo commended his leadership and urged the President to rally behind him to stabilise the state.
Sekibo said Fubara’s tenure marked the first time in 24 years that an Ijaw son was leading the state.
“Governor Fubara carries the collective hope and vision of all Rivers people who are resolute and determined to continue to support him.
“This is the reason President Bola Tinubu should also support Governor Fubara who, as an ally, has continued to work for the success of his administration,” he said.
The former minister declared support for the President, stating that “Mr President, Rivers people have always supported the government at the centre. Governor Fubara has convinced us that we must stand with our President, and so we do.
“There might be people telling you stories, especially when they see people like me, who was a core Atiku man.
“They will say, ‘Don’t you see, it is Atiku people that are with the governor’. There are also Atiku people that are with them there in Abuja.
“The governor has convinced us that the place to be is to be with our President. So, Mr President, we stand with you.
“The election delivered you as our President, and so, we stand with you. The election also delivered our governor, our son, and we stand with him.
“The Ijaw nation in more than eight local government areas of Rivers State has an opportunity of having one of their own as the governor of this state. We stand with him, we have no choice.”
He advised Rivers people who felt demoralised by the Supreme Court judgment to brace up and support Fubara.
“Standing by and working with Governor Fubara is the right thing to do, and I urge you, Mr President, to stand with Siminalayi Fubara. My dear people, as we urge our President and the Federal Government to stand with our son, we all must rally round him and stand with him, no matter what happens,” he said.
He said the inaugurated project reflected purposeful leadership that had prioritised the well-being of the people.
He said: “In a time when leadership is tested, when bold decisions are required for the progress of our people, this governor has prioritised the interest of our people, and we all must stand with him.
“I was Secretary to the State Government in this state, this fire service station existed, I must confess that what I am seeing today is a state-of-the-art modern fire service station.”
While vowing that no matter the situation, they would continue to support the governor, he recalled that when the second-term ambition of Wike was threatened, they rallied round him and confronted the military.
“When the second term of your immediate predecessor was threatened, we the Rivers people, especially in Okrika and Ogu/Bolo local government areas, came out to dare the military.
“Our women went naked to dare the military and made sure that the results were not changed. My governor, go to sleep because for you, we will do more,” he said.
Fubara, speaking at the event, stressed that such infrastructure was a critical government service aimed at protecting lives and property.
He described the facility as part of his administration’s commitment to ensuring public safety without unnecessary publicity.
“The purpose of the government is to provide services and protect lives and property.
“While we do what we were elected for, showcasing it should not be the priority, but unfortunately, governance has been turned into a spectacle,” Fubara stated.
The governor noted that the newly revitalised Borokiri Fire Station would address past inadequacies in emergency response in the densely populated area, ensuring quicker intervention during fire outbreaks.
The Commissioner for Special Duties, Dr Samuel Anya, commended the governor for reviving the fire service and ensuring better emergency response capabilities for the people.