Tension As Protest Rocks Niger Delta Over Moves to Sack Fubara, Attack on Ijaw Nation

By Stephen Asabase, Senior Correspondent

The coalition under Ijaw National Frontiers comprising members of Ijaw National Congress, INC, Ijaw Youths Council, IYC and Ijaw People’s Development Initiative, IPDI have came out en mass to demonstrate against the earlier statement made by the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike that Ijaws in Rivers State, Delta State, Edo State, and in all South-South States are minority, adding that Senator Pa Edwin Clark where not able to produce a Governor in his home state and that they are minority, they cannot become Governor except only Bayelsa State.

Meanwhile, the statement made by the FCT Minister has created serious tension in the Niger Delta region leading to calls on Mr President to caution him, “with protest of sack Wike!, Wike must go! or else the president should chose between Nyesom Wike or Ijaw people”!.

However, the protest in Warri Delta was carried out simultaneously with that of the protest in Abalama Community in Rivers State and that of Bayelsa State.

The protest in Warri was led by the national coordinator of the Ijaw national Frontiers’ Chief Ezonebi Oyakemeagbegha.

The demonstrators walk through the Warri Sapele road on the NPA axis to the Warri Area Command where they presented an open letter to the president of the federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency Ahmed Bola Tinubu to caution his FCT Minister Wike against provocation and possibly attack on the nation’s oil facilities.

Addressing the press, the Ijaw Youths said that Asawana and Agbagbogha were not Blues or Love songs but it best understood by enemies like Wike and the Niger Delta born sons and daughters.

The Niger Delta boys have started their usual cry to the street like the time of MEND, and Niger Delta Avengers. Currently, there is tension every where due to the supreme Court judgment and perceived moves by the he former Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike to impeach the current governor, Siminilaye Fubara.

Meantime, the Ijaw Frontier Group, IYC, INC, IPDI were calling on Mr President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu to sack or vehemently caution the FCT Minister to retract, review, and make publicly apologise to the entire Ijaw nation or else they will make Tinubu government ungovernable and unbearable for the entire country.

The aggrieved Ijaw people also made it clear that if Nyesom Wike was applying the strategy of war by proxy or using federal might, it wasn’t new to them, noting that they will fight for their rights till Wike goes down.

“We are the most peace loving people in the Niger Delta and Nigeria as a whole but when some people feel that they can oppress, intimidate, molest and play some dubious politics by orchestrating our Ijaw Ethnic Nationality, calling us some blanket names then war became inevitable.

“We will most probably tell Barr. Nyesom Wike to not step his foot to Rivers State, as time goes on, we will know whether Ijaws are truly a minority in Rivers State
Don’t dare the Ijaw nation, power is transient, you will pay for your actions with your blood” they said.

Reading the open letter before the Warri Area Commander, which titled “BARR. NYESOM WIKE HAS MURDERED SLEEP” the Ijaw national Frontiers’ national coordinator, Chief Ezonebi Oyakemeagbegha said ,”We write to register our grave displeasure over the unwarranted outburst of your Minister, Barr. Nyesom Wike during his media chat on Wednesday, 12th March, 2025 where he insulted the entire Ijaw tribe and the spiritual foundation of our existence as a people.

“More so, your Minister Wike berated derogatorily the person of our late leader and father who only recently joined his ancestors, awaiting a befitting funeral, in a manner reminiscent of uncouth, ill-bred child.

“Who knew Wike before he was appointed a Minister of State by Former President Jonathan (an Ijaw son) on the recommendation of Rt. Hon Rotimi Amaechi his benefactor whom he betrayed? And it was the same Former President Jonathan, and his beloved wife who gave Wike the chance to become Governor of Rivers State despite the avalanche of better qualified Ijaw sons and daughters who were aspiring to be Governors in the spirit of building a united cohesive Rivers family.

“But as it is traditional with Wike’s revolting spirit of betrayal, today he
despises all his benefactors including Dr. Peter Odili who led other Rivers State elders to make him a governor at the instance of Her Excellency Dame Patience Jonathan, a worthy Ijaw daughter. Will the present romance between Barr. Wike and Mr. President end differently,a man whose undying penchant for betrayal is legendary just like his favorite Glenfiddich 30 years.

“To derogatorily make reference to Pa Edwin K. Clark, who is resting in
the arms of his creator, awaiting to be given a befitting interment is
sacrilegious, and an abomination. And to ridicule the spirituality of the
Ijaw nation which expression is found in the sobriquet “asawana” is an invitation to chaos. Wike has murdered sleep and he shall sleep no more.

“Mr. President, it has been generally observed that the ingrate called
Wike is acting out a script to feather your 2027 nest. We cannot fathom a better reason for Barr. Wike’s deep crave to destabilize and derail Rivers State without being called to order. We can clearly identify the “hand of Jacob” to pave way for your re-election in 2027.

” This is the only reason you have continued to condone his excesses and even pouring encomium on him as a performing minister.
We want to appeal to you to call Barr. Nyesom Wike to order.

“The Ijaw people have never been conquered at any time in our history and it cannot be so in this 21st century. It is a truism that the entire south south region today is reaping from the sweat of the ljaws, employing the spiritual sobriquet “asawana” (which Wike has the temerity to ridicule) to fight for resource ownership and control.

“Today you may be enjoying
your romance with Nyesom Wike but remember that a man who has an endemic betrayal spirit will continue to show his true nature.
We wish to reiterate the words of the President of the Ijaw National
Congress; it is your choice to choose between Barr. Nyesom Wike, and the entire Ijaw nation. But please note from this day that Wike has murdered sleep”.