The New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) has condemned the state of emergency in Rivers state.

On Tuesday, President Bola Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers following the prolonged political crisis in the south-south state.

The president also suspended Siminalayi Fubara, governor of the state; Ngozi Odu, his deputy; and members of the state assembly.

Tinubu nominated Ibok-Ete Ibas, a retired vice-admiral, to administer the state.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, Ladipo Johnson, NNPP spokesperson, said Tinubu’s action is not only unconstitutional but “an absurd political decision and a very dangerous precedent”.

Johnson said the political crisis in Rivers had not degenerated to the level warranting a state of emergency, adding that a “more reasonable solution” could have been applied.

“Of course, the presidential fiat invoking section 305 of the 1999 constitution is arbitrary in the circumstances, to say the least, particularly on the conditions precedent and implications for democracy and development of the country,” the statement reads.

“It is clearly a dangerous precedent which can only be interpreted as an absurd political manipulation on the part of the federal government.

“Why the rush to proclaim a State of Emergency without the conditions precedent as required by law? Doesn’t the president’s action vitiate the rule of law he talked about in his speech?

“Or is it about his Party’s much-touted political interest in Rivers State ahead of 2027?

“These are questions germane to this unfortunate decision which of course sends frightening signals both locally and internationally regarding the rule of law and overall state of things in our union.”

Ladipo said Tinubu was “ill-advised”, noting that he could have “acted as a father” in resolving the crisis.

“The NNPP, however, reckoned with the implication of the declaration of the State of Emergency for the economy, warning that it was a decision capable of triggering restlessness in the Niger Delta with disastrous effects on the national economy,” the statement added.

“Now the challenge is how to deal with a possible implosion in the Niger Delta over this matter.

“Are we seeing signs of this as per the incidents in the State in the last few days and how this could affect oil production as the nation’s economic mainstay?”

Ladipo asked Tinubu to “immediately” reverse Fubara’s suspension, urging the national assembly to reject the emergency rule.

ABUJA – THE Federal Government on Wednesday said that the allocation for Rivers State will be released to the Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok Ibas (retd).

The government also said President Bola Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State was timely and meant to avert an implosion in the state.

This is as it has said that the former Governor of Rivers State and Minister of Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike has no role in the political crisis in Rivers State that culminated in the declaration of a state of emergency.

The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, stated this while briefing State House correspondents at the presidential Villa, Abuja.

While fielding questions on whether the Federal Government would release the allocation from the federation account to the state in view of the latest development, the Minister said if the administrator requests for it, it will be released to him.

“And to me, it will be in order for the release of that fund because the event of the extraordinary situation has brought them out of the normal situation of things.”

He justified the decision of the President to declare a state of emergency in the state.
According to him, “We have about two years into the administration in the state.

“Now, when do you think he (President Tinubu) should have come in? Is it when everything has been destroyed? I don’t think so.

“I think the President has acted timeously. He has given the opportunity to all the parties involved, to make amends. Before then, he had to assemble them, he had tried to mediate,” he stated.

President Tinubu had on Tuesday declared a state of emergency in Rivers State, suspending Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, Ngozi Odu, and all elected members of the Rivers State House of Assembly for an initial period of six months.

In a national broadcast, Tinubu cited prolonged political instability, constitutional breaches, and security threats as reasons for the extraordinary measure.

The crisis, which had paralysed governance in the oil-rich state, stems from a power struggle between Governor Fubara and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, now the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory.

As part of the directive, the President also appointed Vice Admiral Ibok-Étè Ibas (retd.) as the sole administrator to oversee the state’s affairs until normalcy is restored. Ibas served as Chief of Naval Staff from 2015 to 2021 under former President Muhammadu Buhari.

Tinubu announced, “In the circumstance, having soberly reflected on and evaluated the political situation in Rivers State and the Governor and Deputy Governor of Rivers State having failed to make a request to me as President to issue this proclamation as required by section 305(5) of the 1999 Constitution as amended, it has become inevitably compelling for me to invoke the provision of section 305 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 as amended, to declare a state of emergency in Rivers State with effect from today, March 18, 2025 and I so do.

“By this declaration, the Governor of Rivers State, Mr Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, Mrs Ngozi Odu and all elected members of the House of Assembly of Rivers State are hereby suspended for an initial period of six months.

“In the meantime, I hereby nominate Vice Admiral Ibokette Ibas (retd.) as Administrator to take charge of the affairs of the state in the interest of the good people of Rivers State. For the avoidance of doubt, this declaration does not affect the judicial arm of Rivers State, which shall continue to function by their constitutional mandate.”

The Niger Delta Peoples Movement (NDPM), a member of Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organisation (UNPO) an international body strongly condemns the recent massacre of community members in Edo State by suspected Fulani herdsmen. The body said, “According to an eye witness in Aviele community, Mr. Maliki Shaka, victims were brutally killed in their sleep, while others were burned alive as their homes were set ablaze.

This attack, which is part of a recurring cycle of violence in the region, has once again raised concerns about the safety of residents and the apparent inaction of the government to this effect.

In a statement made available to newsmen, the Convener of NDPM, Mr. Ejiro Ineneji expressed deep frustration over what it described as the government’s failure to address the persistent invasion and attacks carried out by these herdsmen/bandits of Fulani extracts in the Niger Delta Region. He asked, “how long shall they kill our people while we sit and wait for justice from the government?”.

This has been a recurrent incident. We are tired of these herdsmen invading our farms and destroying our agricultural developments and due to our government doing little or nothing to protect the people, the herdsmen have decided to embark on massacre of the Niger Delta people in their sleep.

NDPM is demanding immediate intervention from the Edo State government, urging authorities to take decisive action to prevent further bloodshed. They promised to report these set humanitarian disaster to the international community in search of better ways to address this mainance

The group also advised local communities to organize themselves through vigilante services to enhance security, warning that if people remain passive, the terror will continue unchecked.

As tension rises, residents are calling for urgent security measures to protect their lives and properties.

The NDPM’s statement adds to the growing calls for concrete action to put an end to these violent attacks.

Comrade Teimowei Ebi, the Leader Supreme Egbesu Congress led aggrieved women of Yenizue-Gene and Okutukutu communities in Yenagoa Local Government Area of Bayelsa State on Monday to barricaded the Melford Okilo road protesting against alleged rape, harassment and destruction of farmlands by the fulani herdsmen

For several hours, the protesters halted vehicular movement as they laid siege on the usually busy road by erecting canopies and chairs where they displayed their cassava tubers and plants destroyed by cows.

Speaking at the protest venue, Comrade Teimowei Ebi, Leader, Supreme Egbesu Congress express his grievances over the incedent discribing it as a display of war by the herders, he alleged that the political class who are said to be owners of this cattles should restrain thier fulani workers from this hunamitarian destruction, that if nothing is done soon, youths might be forced to protect the farmland of their aged mothers whose only source of livelihood is farming.

In his words, we might be forced to take laws into our hands. It seems the government is failing to protect her citizens from this nightmare. He urges Ijaw people to start having vigilantee groups just to protect our bushes from intruders.

He beaconed on the Bayelsa State Government to take responsibility and implement the anti open grazing law effectively before things get out of hand.

The angry women rebuffed the entreaties of the police to dismantle the blockade, insisting that the state anti open grazing law be implemented to the letter and the offending herders brought to justice.

According to one of the protesters who pleaded to be anonymous, an elderly woman was recently raped on her farm by the herders who had taken over their forest. This is bad in the 21st century when there is technology to address this mainance.

Armed with placards some of which read: “They are raping our women, government help us”, “Protest we don’t fight cow, “Govt help us remove cows from our farms”, ” They are harvesting our cassava to feed their cows:

One of the protesters, Madam Gift, a mother of three, lamented the hardship they are going through in t U. V. .e hands of the rampaging herders saying “many of our people have stopped going to their farms because of the constant attacks and destruction of their farms by the herdsmen.”

Also, Bonus Wombu, the provost Marshal of Oguan, a retiree, decried what he described as the inability of the government to protect them from the marauding herdsmen. .

He said: “as a retiree, and I have many farms in the bush, but as I speak with you, my only source of livelihood has been destroyed.

“Sadly, the bayelsa state government enacted the anti open grazing law sometimes in 2021, but sadly the government is not doing enough to protect our people. The government should implement the law they have enacted.”

As the time of filing this report, the Secretary to the state government, commisioner for agriculture and Commissioner of Police, Bayelsa State Command, CP Alonyenu Idu, was meeting with the protesters.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=khtxxgaup0I

A bill that seeks to amend the Nigeria Data Protection Act, 2023, to require social media platforms to establish physical offices within the country has scaled second reading in the Senate.

The bill, titled ‘A Bill for an Act to Amend the Nigeria Data Protection Act, 2023, to Mandate the Establishment of Physical Offices within the Territorial Boundaries of the Federal Republic of Nigeria by Social Media Platforms, and for Related Matters, 2025 (SB. 650),” was sponsored by Senator Ned Munir Nwoko APC, Delta North.

The President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio then referred it to the Senate Committee on ICT and cyber security to report back in 2 months.

In his lead debate on the general principles of the bill, Senator Nwoko explained that Nigeria as Africa’s most populous nation with over 220 million people has a significant digital presence, ranking first in Africa and second globally in terms of social media usage, spending an average of three hours and 46 minutes daily online, according to a Global Web Index report cited by Business Insider Africa.

He highlighted that despite the high engagement, multinational social media corporations such as Facebook, X, Instagram, WhatsApp, YouTube, TikTok, and Snapchat do not maintain physical offices in Nigeria, unlike in other climes.

Senator Nwoko outlined several challenges resulting from the absence of social media offices in Nigeria, including: Limited local representation; Economic losses as well as Challenges in Legal and Data Protection Compliance.

The bill also proposes new regulations for bloggers operating in Nigeria. It mandates that all bloggers must establish a verifiable office in any of the capital cities across the country, maintain proper employee records and belong to a recognized national association of bloggers, headquartered in Abuja.

According to Senator Nwoko, this measure is intended to promote accountability, transparency, and professionalism in Nigeria’s digital media space, similar to traditional media houses, just as he asserts that the bill is not an attack on social media platforms but a demand for equity and respect for Nigeria’s position as a global leader in digital engagement.

The House of Representatives on Tuesday passed the four tax reform bills transmitted to the National Assembly in October 2024 by President Bola Tinubu.

Recall that the House had on Thursday last week, considered and approved the report of the House Committee on Finance which made some recommendations, particularly in controversial areas such as the Value Added Tax and inheritance tax.

While awaiting the Senate to similarly pass the bills, the proposed reforms are expected to be transmitted to the President for his assent in the days ahead.