Women protest against Rivers emergency rule, accuse police of intimidation

The Rivers Women Unite Prayer Group has held a protest in Port Harcourt against the suspension of Siminalayi Fubara as governor.

The demonstration held on Wednesday, with the women chanting slogans and demanding an end to what they perceive as an “unconstitutional state of affairs” in Rivers.

The woman were clad in red attires and holding placards bearing inscriptions like ‘Rivers state economy suffer under Ibas’, ‘NBA have conscience’, ‘Bring Back Fubara’, and ‘We are gagged’.

In a statement signed by Nancy Nwankwo and Vivian Ige-Elenwo, the group accused Ibok-Ete Ibas, the state’s sole administrator, of deepening the political divide rather than fostering reconciliation.

“Nearly one month after assuming control, rather than fostering reconciliation among the political stakeholders, Vice Admiral Ibas has deepened the divide,” the statement reads.

“His actions of dismantling democratic institutions and orchestrating policies aimed at achieving political domination serve only the interests of those who appointed him.”

The group condemned what it described as “dictatorial tendencies” of Ibas and Olugbenga Adepoju, commissioner of police in Rivers state.

“On Friday, April 11, 2025, we held a peaceful protest against the injustice meted out to our state,” the statement added.

“Shockingly, the police responded with force, deploying tear gas and brute intimidation in a bid to silence our democratic right to peaceful assembly.”

They accused the police of protecting some pro-Ibas protesters in the state few days after their demonstration.

The group also accused the police of deliberate provocation and double standard aimed at suppressing democratic rights.

The protesters said the emergency rule is crippling the state’s economy, with women and children bearing the brunt of the hardship.

They also criticised the federal government for failing to declare emergency rule in more volatile, terrorism-plagued regions, yet deploying over 10,000 police officers and military personnel to Rivers “for political intimidation”.

The group demanded the removal of the police commissioner, Fubara’s reinstatement and redeployment of troops to “areas with real insecurity”.

They urged the international community to intervene and press for the restoration of democracy in Rivers.

BACKGROUND

On March 18, President Bola Tinubu declared emergency rule in the oil-rich state, citing a protracted political crisis.

He also suspended Fubara, his deputy, Ngozi Odu, and all members of the Rivers assembly for an initial period of six months.

The president immediately appointed Ibas, a retired naval chief, as the state’s sole administrator.

On April 11, a group of women in Rivers protested the suspension of Fubara, and the declaration of emergency rule in the state by Tinubu.

Days after, another group of women in Port Harcourt staged a solidarity walk for the emergency rule in the state.