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Nigerians woke up to a disturbing video of police officers harassing Rivers state governor, Sim Fubara, in Port Harcourt. Fubara was reportedly on his way to the House of Assembly to stall the impeachment proceedings against him.
FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, and Governor Fubara.
Source: Sim Media Volunteers
This event has people pointing fingers at former governor, Nyesom Wike. Here’s what we’ve gathered so far.
What happened?
On Sunday, October 19, 2023, multiple reports surfaced of a fire outbreak at the Rivers State House of Assembly complex around 10 p.m. The fire consumed a portion of the complex before firefighters arrived at the venue and brought the situation under control.
The outbreak happened amid rumours of lawmakers making moves to impeach Governor Fubara who was elected into office in March 2023.
On Monday, October 30, a video circulating on social media showed police officers firing teargas and water canons at Governor Fubara as he walked along a road in Port-Harcourt.
“You are attacking the governor of Rivers State? Rivers State governor under attack,” an individual shouted in the now-viral video.
Men of the Nigerian Police pouring water and teargas on the Governor of Rivers State. Sim Fubara, the Governor of Rivers on his way to the State House of Assembly Complex. @PoliceNG pls call your men to order.
Fubara was reportedly heading to the HOA to assess the fire incident and stop the impeachment proceedings against him. Reports indicate that 24 lawmakers of the state house of assembly had signed an impeachment notice and sent it to the governor.
A different video saw the governor in a safer and more stable condition as he addressed some of his supporters.
“From what I’ve seen, the security is even compromised. They were shooting at me. This operation was shooting at me directly, but it doesn’t matter.”
The governor declared that whatever actions had been taken by members of the assembly were null and void.
Gov. SIM FUBARA speaks on the recent happenings in Rivers State, in his speech, the security agencies have been compromised, tear gas were shot at him
Nyesom Wike significantly supported Fubara, a former accountant general of the state, during his bid to become the Rivers State governor. Before he won the election in March 2023, Fubara was not an active player in Rivers politics.
On Sunday, May 28, during a thanksgiving service to mark the end of his tenure, he told Fubara he would not disturb his administration.
“We will not disturb you from running your administration, but we will not allow you to make us cry. We want you to succeed more than us so that when we are passing on the road, we will raise our shoulders and say we told you that he would do better than us.”
Fast forward to October 2023, reports indicate a rift between the governor and his predecessor who is now the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria. Abdul Rasheeth, a media aide to former VP, Atiku Abubakar, alleged in a post shared on X that Wike had a hand in the impeachment move against Fubara by Rivers lawmakers.
“Wike wants to use the House of Assembly to impeach Gov. Fubara for his selfish reasons. Sim Fubara has been enduring the excesses of Nyesom Wike but cannot take it any longer.”
Rasheeth claimed Fubara almost resigned his position as governor but “because the deputy is loyal to Felix Obuah, the former state chairman of PDP, he was asked to sheathe his sword.”
He also claimed the recent confusion in Rivers HOA is a result of the move to remove the leader of the house, Ehie Edison, who is strongly against the idea of impeaching Sim Fubara.
Fight started between Wike and his Governor Sim Fubara. According to a source Wike want to use the House of Assembly to impeach Gov. Fubara for his selfish reasons.
Sim Fubara has been enduring the excesses of Nyesom Wike but cannot take it any longer.
Chief Edwin Clark, elder statesman and leader of the Pan-Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) commented on the developments in Rivers state over the last 48 hours at a media briefing in Abuja.
Chief Clark called on President Bola Tinubu to caution Wike and the security forces in Rivers. “I have been reliably informed that there is a plot to unlawfully remove Governor Siminalaye Fubara of Rivers State, who has spent only about five months in office,” he said.
“I understand the sad episode is being orchestrated by the immediate past Governor of Rivers State and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Mr Nyesom Wike.
“And that the intention is to remove the Governor, force his deputy, Professor Ngozi Odu to resign, and install the Speaker of the House of Assembly, another Ikwerre person, as the governor of the state.”
What’s the current situation?
Governor Fubara addressed his supporters at the HOA complex shortly after the assault. The governor stressed that he has done nothing to warrant an impeachment from office.
“Let them come out and tell Rivers people the offence I have committed to warrant any impeachment. Let me assure the people of Rivers that I will continue to ensure that you get the dividends of democracy. At the appropriate time, I will address the press.”
Burning Ram tickets are now available. Get your personal meat and many more at Zikoko’s meat festival coming up on November 11th. Tickets are available here.
With the current state of affairs in Nigeria now (election tension, fuel and Naira scarcity) it is easy to forget that about four million people in Rivers state are at risk of life-threatening illnesses due to prolonged exposure to soot.
What’s soot and why is it dangerous?
Soot is the black powdery substance that falls on your head after burning bush, tyres, and other things like petroleum products. The level of the black substance depends on the quality of what you are burning and how difficult it is to burn to powder.
In Rivers state, the primary sources of soot are oil bunkering, illegal refining, gas flaring, burning of biofuel, petroleum products and asphalt plants. This has been hurting a lot of people.
Source: Guardian.ng
A report in 2021 showed that about 23,000 people had suffered from respiratory diseases in the past five years. Many health professionals have explained that without a lasting solution to this problem, the residents will continue to be at risk of respiratory diseases like asthma, and emphysema, skin irritation, nosebleeds and cancer.
However, asides from this, residents are also struggling with water contamination. When tests were carried out on their water samples, it was found that it didn’t meet the standard requirements because its pH level was less than 6.5, making it acidic. And this would inevitably lead to having an immunocompromised system.
How did this start?
In 2015, Port-Harcourt residents raised the alarm about the deteriorating air quality in the state. The air had become so contaminated that at 7 a.m., the city looked like it was covered by a dark cloud. So much so that even rainwater was too polluted to use.
Source: CNN
People would wake up to their furniture, clothes, floors, houses, cars, and plants coated with black powder. And, of course, their health began to suffer as citizens began complaining of increased asthma attacks and respiratory illnesses.
What has the government done so far?
In 2017, the Rivers state governor, Nyesom Wike, set up a task force to combat oil “bunkerers” contributing to the soot problem. However, it yielded no tangible results. Five years later, in January 2022, Governor Wike again put a ₦2 million bounty on illegal refiners, which produced little results.
Some people believe that the government should create modular (smaller) refineries to work with the illegal oil bunkerers, which would ultimately bring a working solution to the soot problem. And on January 20, 2022, the federal government promised to establish three modular refineries in each major oil-producing state.
What can we do?
The Extra Step Initiative, a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) based in Port-Harcourt, launched a crowdsourced website called SootCity. Its primary aim is to raise awareness of the city’s environmental and health crisis.
The website uses a data model like the World Health Organization to predict life expectancy based on the user’s input.
As a Port Harcourt resident, you can use the website to see how long you are likely to live, due to the soot’s impact on your health.
After the calculation, Extra Step uses your data to send a letter to Rivers state lawmakers urging them to take the proper steps towards solving the problem.
If you are not a resident, you can support residents by sharing the website with them.
You should also sign up for our Game of Votes newsletter. We help you make sense of news jargon and keep you up-to-date, especially with election news. Make the subscription of a lifetime here.
Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State is undoubtedly the hottest political bride in Nigeria right now.
Since his presidential ambition crashed after losing the ticket of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to Atiku Abubakar in May 2022, Wike hasn’t allowed anyone a moment’s rest. He’s been sleeping and waking like this:
No one doubts Wike’s political weight and the kind of influence he can have on the direction of votes for the 2023 presidential elections. The man himself knows this and has been lording it over everyone.
On August 25th, 2022, Wike kicked the drama up a notch with an eventful trip to London from which we learnt quite a few lessons.
Wike is a hot kek
On his London trip, Wike met Atiku in what many PDP operators would hope is the end of his theatrics. But he also met with the candidates of the All Progressives’ Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, and Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi. That’s the kind of reverence top presidential candidates usually reserve for OG former Nigerian leaders like Olusegun Obasanjo, Ibrahim Babangida, Yakubu Gowon and Abdulsalami Abubakar.
It’s a testament to how much everyone understands Wike’s outsized influence and wants him to pitch his tent with them.
Obi is (most likely) Obasanjo’s candidate
Obasanjo has been shy about publicly endorsing any of the candidates for the 2023 presidential election, but it’s almost impossible that he won’t do it at some point.
And the former president appeared to show his hand on Wike’s tour by participating in the governor’s meeting with Peter Obi. Since his dramatic exit from the PDP, Obasanjo has taken a liking to popular anti-incumbent candidates — Buhari in 2015, Atiku in 2019, and now Obi in 2023.
Time will tell where he throws his hat but it seems he’s leaning towards Obidience.
Governance is on autopilot, sorry to Nigerians
There were at least five current state governors in London with Wike and Tinubu attending to political business that has nothing to do with the people who elected them into power.
Governors Seyi Makinde (Oyo), Samuel Ortom (Benue) and Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia) all followed Wike on his London tour. Crowd Controller Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos) and Governor Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti) were also part of Tinubu’s team for the meeting with Wike.
These governors have less than a year to the end of their current terms and aren’t too invested in governance anymore, but the politics that prolong their stay in power.
The only people that suffer are the ones who gave them a taste of power to begin with.
Wike is Captain Nigeria
On their return from London, of course, the actors tried to spin the trip as some holy trip they took in the interest of Nigerians. Ikpeazu called the trip a “rescue” mission for Nigeria and Ortom said they’re “looking at the larger picture”.
Wike also said all the trouble isn’t about him or his group but in the service of Nigerians. And if you believe all of that, we have a profitable Nigerian oil refinery to sell you.
There’ll be more meetings
If you think meetings in London would be enough to calm Wike’s blood and get him to fall in bed with one candidate, then think again. The London tour is only one phase of his consultation and he’s not done. There are more meetings to follow for the most in-demand political bride in the country. Everyone will have to wait to see who Wike walks down the aisle with for the 2023 elections.
Wouldn’t you like to read a newsletter that helps you dig into all the good, bad and extremely bizarre things happening in Nigeria and why they’re important to you? Then you should sign up for Game of Votes.
When monkeypox made a splash in the United Kingdom (UK) in May 2022, it felt like an isolated incident that would quickly pass like a social media trend. This was because the virus has been a largely African problem for decades.
But then it spread to a few other countries in Europe and North America. This August visitor was starting to cause of bit of a panic by popping up in strange places but health officials were still confident about easily containing it. But monkeypox said:
They were so wrong that the World Health Organisation (WHO) had to declare monkeypox a public health emergency of international concern on July 23rd 2022. By the time this happened, monkeypox had already hopped into dozens more countries across the world. It was like someone told the virus to feel at home and it took control of the TV remote.
Between May 2022 and August 2022, monkeypox cases climbed from a few dozens to over 30,000 in nearly 90 countries. The outbreak is the first wide outbreak of monkeypox outside of Central and West Africa.
And while many non-endemic countries have been worse-hit, endemic countries like Nigeria haven’t been having the best time too.
Monkeypox’s origin story in Nigeria
The WHO recorded the first case of monkeypox in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in 1970.
Nigeria’s first large-scale monkeypox outbreak happened in 2017 when the virus caused a nationwide panic. The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) recorded 88 cases that year. The agency further recorded 49 cases in 2018, 47 cases in 2019, eight cases in 2020 and 34 cases in 2021. The annual case load was low enough that Nigeria didn’t need to sweat in monitoring the virus. Until 2022.
How monkeypox got its groove back in Nigeria
With monkeypox doing a rare worldwide tour in new locations, endemic countries like Nigeria heightened surveillance of the disease. And what that has shown is that 2022 is the worst year on record ever for monkeypox in the country.
While authorities recorded 226 cases in five years, they have have confirmed 157 cases between January and July 2022. The trend of the outbreak shows that the upsurge in cases didn’t start until May when the global trend started building.
In January, Adamawa, Imo and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) recorded one case each. In February, the NCDC confirmed one additional case in Lagos.
The NCDC confirmed six cases in March and five more in April. At this point, monkeypox was present in seven states, with Cross River, Kano and Delta joining the roster.
Rivers and Bayelsa joined the party when the NCDC found six more cases in May and one person died.
On May 26th, with monkeypox attracting more global attention, the NCDC activated a national emergency operations centre to improve response to the virus. This improved attention may have been responsible for what happened in June when the number of cases skyrocketed.
The NCDC confirmed 61 new cases between May 30th and July 3rd. Two more people died within this period, and the virus had already spread to 21 states in total.
An additional 72 cases popped up between July 4th and July 31st, leaving the total number of monkeypox cases in 2022 at 157 in 26 states. The total number of deaths also increased to four.
What was responsible for the surge, in the NCDC’s words?
Enhanced surveillance at national and subnational levels with improved case detection and reporting as well as the recent attention from the global outbreak have contributed in part or whole to the observed increase in cases which we have seen this year.
Since 2017, Nigeria has recorded a total of 383 monkeypox cases in 30 states and 12 deaths.
The only states not affected by the virus in Nigeria are Jigawa, Kaduna, Kebbi, Osun, Sokoto, Yobe and Zamfara.
How does monkeypox spread?
The monkeypox virus can spread from infected animals like monkeys, squirrels and rodents, to humans, usually through direct contact with body fluids, blood or the skin or lesions. Transmission can also happen through a bite, scratch, poor handling of, or consuming inadequately cooked or other products of infected bushmeat.
Monkeypox can also spread from human to human through contact with respiratory droplets and contaminated materials such as bedding.
What are the monkeypox symptoms?
The symptoms of monkeypox include sudden fever, headache, body pain, weakness, sore throat, and enlargement of glands (lymph nodes) in the neck and under the jaw. The appearance of a rash on the face, palms, soles of the feet, genitals and other parts of the body is also possible.
The monkeypox fever can escalate the rash which tends to spread across the body of an infected person with the face and palms being the most affected. The rash can also occur in and around the genitals, which is why contact during sex is also a mode of transmission.
The illness from monkeypox usually lasts between two to four weeks.
How to protect yourself from monkeypox
There are many tips on how to protect yourself from monkeypox infection, but here are the highlights from the NCDC:
1. Avoid contact with host animals like monkeys, gorillas, squirrels and rodents, especially in areas where infections have been confirmed.
2. Avoid unnecessary physical contact with infected patients.
3. Practice frequent handwashing with soap and water especially after caring for, or visiting sick people.
4. Ensure all animal food products are properly cooked before eating.
5. Report all cases with the associated symptoms to the nearest health facility.
The vaccination is strictly meant for those who have been exposed to monkeypox and people who may be more likely to be infected. But there’s a shortage of vaccines and poorer countries like Nigeria are at the back of the queue. This means, as a Nigerian, prevention is better than cure.
Love Lifeis a Zikoko weekly series about love, relationships, situationships, entanglements and everything in between.
Audio: We Are Married But He Needs To Propose
When Kingsley (40) met Ada (31), he was mesmerised. But Ada did not want anything to do with a man from Rivers State. Today on Love Life, they discuss moving from enemies to friends to husband and wife, and a pending marriage proposal.
What’s your earliest memory of each other?
Kingsley: The first time I saw Ada was at a salon where she was making her hair. A friend of mine was at the salon, so I decided to stop and say “Hi.” And then I saw Ada. She had no make-up on, her hair was combed out, and she looked completely tired. But even in that state, she was stunning. That was when I realised that stopping at the salon was the best decision I ever made.
Ada: This man was greeting another babe next to me, then he asked the babe if we were together. Immediately she said no, he moved to me so he could collect my number. The moment he came to me, I thought to myself, “This one na ashawo.” But I gave him the number to save myself from plenty talk. My plan was to ignore his calls later on.
LMAO. But look at you today…
Kingsley: Omo, she was a tough nut to crack. This babe suffered me. I would call and she would not pick. And even when she did, her responses were direct, no time to joke around. She never wanted to see, and hanging out was completely out of the option. I even began to wonder if I had wronged her before.
Ada: Please, don’t paint me bad. I had my reasons for that.
Oya, tell us. We are all ears.
Ada: He would call me to come and see him only when it rained. At some point, I had to ask him if I was dry gin that brings heat.
Kingsley: But I also asked if I could come to your house, and your response was something along the lines of, “No sir, my house nor be hotel.” This woman would even read my WhatsApp messages and refuse to reply.
LMFAO. What did this man do to you?
Ada: Okay, to be fair, I did not like men from Rivers state and he fell under that demographic.
Kingsley: Oho.
Ada: And I was also seeing someone at the time.
Now, it’s adding up. What did Rivers men do to you?
Ada: Not me, specifically. I have just had people around who had bad experiences with them. For example, a friend of mine dated a man from Rivers state years ago and had no idea he was married. The day she found out, she fainted and went into a coma for a week. The man never called or checked on her till today. And this happened in 2009.
Kingsley: Wow. That’s cruel.
Ada: As for the man I was dating at the time, I was ghosted for over a year and it ended in hot breakfast and premium tears. I guess the heartbreak was what made me begin to see Kingsley in a different light.
Aww.
Kingsley: For me, I had to be patient and pray so I could understand her. In learning how to understand, I realised that she did not like people disturbing her too much. That was a major turn off. And so, whenever I checked up on her, I would tell her to let me know when she would be free, unlike before when I would call and demand to see her “now now”. And strangely, this simple understanding was the key I needed all along.
Ada: In my defense, I think the heartbreak made me let my guard down, and he took the opportunity to strike. Either way, I started to consider him as a friend, not as a lover. I had just gotten my heart broken, there’s no way I could jump into another relationship immediately.
So, you started as friends… How long did it take for this to happen?
Kingsley: A whole year of me begging her. When we became friends, we would hang out frequently and gist. We went to the movies, took walks in the park, and just vibed generally.
Ada: We were regular customers at Port Harcourt Mall. I loved the chicken and chips. Also, I think it was over a year before I said yes to his offer of friendship.
In this one year, were there other women in the story, Kingsley? I’m asking because one year is a long time to stay waiting for a babe to consider you.
Kingsley: Well… yes. There were other women.
Ada: Ashawo!
Kingsley: LMAO. I wasn’t committed to any of them though. I was just a young man enjoying himself. Ada was the goal for me and the other babes were just a distraction. My initial thought was to add her to this list of other women, but as time went on and our friendship grew, I began to see her as a wife and consider a future with her.
But did these other ladies know they were just “distractions”?
Kingsley: They knew I was not ready for anything serious. My last relationship was in 2009, and the serious pepper that entered my eye ehn. Let’s just thank God for life.
But Ada was different from the rest. She was calm and collected, and she has small skoin-skoin when provoked. The friendship proved all this to me.
Ada: And then we had sex.
Platonic friendship in the mud.
Ada: See! Anyway, I guess the sex took us from a friendship into a relationship. One day, he took me to an isi-ewu joint and said he just wanted us to talk. In my mind, I was like, “Hian. Talk wetin?”
Anyway, we got there and he started this serious talk of how he really needed me in his life, how he has had peace the few times we have been together, and all those long stories. Me I just sat there thinking, “Shey nor be the sex dey make this one dey yarn dust.”
Kingsley: See your big head. This woman just sat there rolling her eyes while I was giving my heartfelt speech.
Ada: He kuku asked me to fix a date so he could meet my parents. I did, and they met.
Wow. So you people didn’t do boyfriend/girlfriend stage. It was just friendship, mekwe and meeting parents?
Kingsley: Delay is dangerous, my guy. Time is of the essence.
Ada: When he came to meet my parents, I left him in the living room to face all the interviews alone. When they were done with him, they called me in and started advising us as a couple. The advice was so intense I had to wonder if my father had already collected my bride price.
I got the whole package: “Don’t allow a third party in your home”; “Settle your quarrels”; “Avoid harsh words.” Ah, Daddy! Mummy! Won’t you ask first ask me if I wanted to marry him?
Kingsley: They saw the spec in me, dear.
Ada: I met his own family too. His dad is late, but his mum showered me with prayers and blessings. Next thing, introduction of families and then marriage date was fixed. Both the family meeting and the introduction happened in December. By January, we had our court wedding. It was almost as if he did not want me to say I had changed my mind.
I’m screaming. Was there ever an official proposal?
Ada: Hell no. Oga, you need to propose oh. I know we are married, but please.
Kingsley: Marry me again, my love. See, my knees are bent.
Ada: Ogbeni, shift abeg.
LMAO. How has married life been?
Kingsley: Blissful.
Ada: It’s been very beautiful. We are not perfect, but we are doing good at it.
How would you say marriage has changed you both?
Kingsley: For me, not so much. But I think it has made me pay more attention to the “serious” things in life. How the world works, for example. Marriage forces you to sit up and sit right. You suddenly become responsible.
I still have my guys around, but I can no longer spend as recklessly as I used to, because now, there is a need to do one or more things for the home. Also, I’m now thinking of a future with children, and that requires planning. The end result is that I have tripled my hustle.
Ada: I totally agree with this. I don’t have that many friends, so my circle is still intact. Marriage has made me frugal with finances. When I was single, wetin concern me with planning for a child? Me that I have chicken and chips with smoothie to eat. But now, I find myself wanting to hustle more so I can maintain my old lifestyle and still afford the new one. Marriage is a lot of responsibility.
What’s the best part about being married to each other?
Ada: Kingsley cracks me up all the time. Sometimes even, it can be annoying. He is gentle, peaceful and peace-loving. An all round sweet soul. I like how fervent his love for God is. He is quite the prayerful husband. He listens to me, he respects me, and he has the purest heart.
Kingsley: Dry cleaner! Wash me, baby. Ada is a sweet girl! She is soft spoken, and she gives the best advice. And her sense of humour is unmatched.
Are there things you would love to change about each other?
Kingsley: Yes oh! When she is angry, she won’t say anything until she is calm inside and sometimes, that could take a whole day and I would be guessing what the problem is. There’s been improvement though.
Ada: My own is simple. When he is out with the boys and he says he would be back by 11 p.m., that 11 p.m. should be 11 p.m. I know beer and gist is sweet, but I also need to know if I should sleep and wake up later to open the door.
Kingsley: I’m sorry ma.
LMAO. Have you ever had any fights?
Ada: Just one major fight. And it was for the craziest reason, because na me cause the fight.
Kingsley: Oya, start confessing your sins.
Ada: It was about food. I was hungry and asked him to get some ingredients since he said he was on his way back home. I did not know uncle had not left where he was. Two hours passed, I nor see ingredients, I nor see uncle. I was so angry, I went out and got the items myself. I was already cooking when he came with the ingredients and was apologizing. Omo! My anger was already angered.
How did you resolve that?
Ada: He kept apologising, and I had no other choice to forgive him. For other issues, we are using communication as the healing balm. We try not to go to bed with pending issues.
Kingsley: And it works every time.
How would rate the relationship on a scale of 1 to 10?
Kingsley: It’s a 10 for me.
Ada: 10 for me too. We have made it this far, and it’s been the most beautiful thing ever.
Citizen is a column that explains how the government’s policies fucks citizens and how we can unfuck ourselves.
The recent events and killings in Oyigbo, Rivers State, all started on October 21, 2020. On that day, members of the “Independent People of Biafra” (IPOB), a group that has been described as a terrorist organisation by the Federal Government and a Federal High Court, were said to have invaded Oyigbo Local Government Area of Rivers State “in a senseless and mindless attack”, killing three police officers and burning down three police stations.
In a press briefing given on Monday, October 26, 2020, the commissioner of police in Rivers State, Joseph Mukan, accused members of the IPOB as hiding under the #EndSARS movement to kill three police officers in the state and burn down three police stations in Afam and Oyigbo Local Government areas.
He gave the identity of the killed police officers as Sunday Dubon, Swawale Ornan, and Umunna Uchechukwu, whose corpses were either burnt to ashes or parts of their bodies cut off.
Following this development, the governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, in a state-wide broadcast, stated that the state government had “serious concern” about the activities of the outlawed Independent People of Biafra (IPOB) in the state.
He stated that it had become a regular occurrence for IPOB members to disturb the peace of the state, including unleashing violence on communities, people and police officers.
He stated that Oyigbo town had become the “operational base” of the group in the state, and that following the violence that the group routinely unleashes in Rivers State, the government has decided to “outlaw IPOB from existing or operating in Rivers State or any part thereof”, and that security agencies are to stop any agitation by IPOB and arrest any person that identifies with IPOB in the state.
He also declared one Stanley Mgbere wanted for destroying lives and properties in Eleme and Onne Local Government Areas, and that there was a ₦50 million bounty for anyone who had useful information that would lead to the arrest and prosecution of the Stanley Mgbere.
Meanwhile, before that time, specifically on October 21, the governor had imposed a curfew in the state in Mile 1, Mile 2, Emenike, Ikowu, and Iloabuchi areas of Port-Harcourt Local Government Area as well Oil Mill area of Obi-Akpor Local Government Area. He later lifted the curfew in every part of the state except that of Oyigbo Local Government Area.
Since Wednesday 21st October 2020, residents of Oyigbo Local Government have been in their homes following the 24-hours curfew imposed by the Rivers State Government. Reports say that residents lack access to food and basic healthcare services.
Officers of the Nigerian military have also been deployed to the area, and there have been reports of human rights abuses and extra-judicial killings by officers of the Nigerian military.
The soldiers are said to be going from house to house, while harrassing and killing people.
There are credible reports that army is moving from house to house to kill people in Oyigbo Rivers State. This is recklessness & wickedness. American military risked all to save just a citizen yesterday but Nigeria's army is killing it's people. Brutai must go.#Obigbomassacre
Online publications are putting the death toll in Oyibo Local Government at more than a hundred while stating that the military has blocked journalists and human rights groups from accessing Oyigbo, an Igbo-dominated settlement eastwards from Port-Harcourt.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian Army is denying the accusations. The public relations officer for 6 Division of the Nigerian Army, Major Charles Ekeocha has insisted that the ongoing operation was not designed to inconvenience residents of Oyigbo.
According to him: “We are there to carry out an operation to recover weapons carted away from our soldiers who were killed so that the criminals will not use the guns to kill innocent citizens in Rivers and outside the State. We carry out our search professionally”.
We hope you’ve learned a thing or two about how to unfuck yourself when the Nigerian government moves mad. Check back every weekday for more Zikoko Citizen explainers.
Over the last few weeks, there’s been an urgent cry from the people of Rivers State, especially Port Harcourt residents, concerning some severe environmental pollution.
According to residents, the air has been contaminated by soot, a black powdery or flaky substance.
For those of you wondering, it is not yet clear what exactly is causing the soot in the air, but it’s usually a result of the incomplete burning of organic matter.
This means it could be caused by illegal burning of crude, poor standards by refineries or poor waste management of crude materials.
This Port Harcourt resident shared an alarming picture of what the air looks like.
Port Harcourt is currently under an atmospheric attack. The air is polluted. Join in the campaign #stopthesoot PIC: Port Harcourt at 8.am pic.twitter.com/ep0qVBHQpw
And what makes it more shameful is the fact that the people of the Niger Delta region, where most of this country’s wealth has come from continue to suffer one environmental calamity after another!
We sympathise deeply with the people of Rivers State and hope that both the Federal and State government respond quickly and effectively to this environmental disaster.
