Niger Delta human rights activist Ann-Kio Briggs has accused Rivers State Administrator Ibok Ete Ibas of escalating tensions in the state, contradicting President Bola Tinubu’s directive to restore peace. Ibas, a former Chief of Naval Staff, was appointed in March 2025 after Tinubu declared a state of emergency, suspending Governor Siminalayi Fubara and Deputy Governor Ngozi Odu amid political clashes with FCT Minister Nyesom Wike.
Speaking on Monday, Briggs alleged that Ibas is “pouring petrol on a fire” instead of quelling it as instructed. “He was told to pour water on that fire, to quench it. Well, he has done nothing of the sort,” she said, claiming Ibas removed constitutionally elected officials and even Fubara’s pictures from the Government House. Briggs insisted, “Siminalayi Fubara remains the governor of Rivers State.”
She further accused Ibas of overseeing violence and stated he is unwelcome in the state. While Tinubu set the emergency rule for six months, Briggs argued the President could restore the status quo earlier.
On the same day, Port Harcourt saw contrasting protests. One group of women rallied in support of Ibas and the emergency rule, while another, some half-clothed, demanded Fubara’s reinstatement, highlighting the deepening divide in the oil-rich state.
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