Nigeria Police Summon Niger Delta Congress Spokesperson Over Rivers Protest Call

Tensions continue to rise in Rivers State as the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has summoned Mudiaga Ogboru, national spokesperson of the Niger Delta Congress (NDC), over his group’s call for protests against President Bola Tinubu’s emergency rule declaration.

Ogboru’s invitation follows a statement issued by the NDC on March 23, in which the group condemned Tinubu’s decision to suspend Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, and the state assembly. The NDC labelled the move as “indirect and undemocratic rule” and urged Rivers residents to take to the streets in protest.

Shortly after the NDC’s statement went public, the Lagos State Police Command issued a letter summoning Ogboru to the State Intelligence Department (SID) in Ikeja for “fact-finding” on March 25.

Speaking to TheCable on Wednesday, Ogboru revealed that he had also received a separate invitation via phone from the Rivers State Police Command. He stated that he would prioritize responding to the Rivers authorities.

However, the situation escalated further with the reported arrest of Nubari Saatah, NDC’s national president, in Rivers State. Sarah, who resides in the state, was allegedly detained by police operatives.

When contacted, Grace Iringe-Koko, spokesperson for the Rivers Police Command, denied knowledge of Saatah’s arrest but confirmed that Ogboru had yet to honour the police invitation.

The crisis in Rivers State deepened on March 18 when President Tinubu declared a state of emergency, citing prolonged political instability. The sweeping decision led to the suspension of Governor Fubara, his deputy, and all members of the state assembly for an initial six-month period.

In their place, Tinubu appointed retired Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas as the sole administrator of the state—a move that sparked widespread condemnation.

Within 48 hours, both the Senate and the House of Representatives controversially approved the president’s request for emergency rule, intensifying political and public opposition.

The declaration of emergency rule has triggered a backlash from political stakeholders, civil society groups, and residents. Critics argue that the federal government’s intervention undermines democratic governance and sets a dangerous precedent for handling state-level political disputes.