Rivers Political Crisis: Militants Threaten To Attack Pipelines Over Allocation Seizure
The brewing political tension in Rivers State has taken a dangerous turn as a militant group, the Niger Delta Grand Fighters, has threatened to vandalize oil pipelines over the withholding of the stateโs financial allocations.
In a viral video, the groupโs leader, identified as Commander Ogwudu Advice, accused the federal government of deliberately stifling Governor Siminalayi Fubaraโs administration.
He warned that unless the funds were released, his group would take drastic action against oil installations in the Niger Delta.
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In the video, Commander Ogwudu spoke in Pidgin, declaring their dissatisfaction:
“Na me, Commander Ogwudu Advice, na we be the Niger Delta Grand Fighters. I come outside today because you can not deny me to come outside. Na wetin make us come outside be say na our state be Rivers State. And this Rivers State wey be our state so, we no go leave am for anybody.”
He accused political actors of disrupting the peace that Governor Fubara had established:
“Sim don give us peace for Rivers State but some people say dem no want that peace. As you see us so, we get joy?”
His compatriots responded with a resounding “No!”
“We no get joy, we no get peace before. But today, Sim say make we come outside make everything be in order, but one person say e no go gree. When him dey there, dem dey disturb am? When him dey there, dem dey worry am? Na you no wan allow Sim to rule the state in peace.”
He then issued a direct threat to the federal government, warning of imminent attacks on oil infrastructure:
“See now, dem dey seize our allocation. If dem no release those money, that allocation we no get am, we Niger Delta fighters go vandalize every pipeline. Peace no go dey. Federal government should call Wike in order or elseโฆ” (switches to local dialect).
OSUN DEFENDER reports that the crisis stems from a bitter power struggle between Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, now the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). The conflict has led to political instability, with allegations that Wike and his loyalists in Abuja are working to undermine Fubaraโs administration by withholding funds meant for the state.
While Wike has not publicly responded to the militant threats, analysts suggest that the situation could escalate if urgent steps are not taken to resolve the political feud.
Potential Economic Consequences
Rivers State is one of Nigeriaโs major oil-producing regions, and any disruption to its oil infrastructure could have severe economic consequences.
A halt in production could lead to revenue losses for both the state and federal governments, worsening Nigeriaโs already fragile economic situation.
Stakeholders are calling for dialogue between all parties involved to prevent further escalation.
So far, the federal government has not issued an official response to the militantsโ demands. However, security analysts warn that failure to address the crisis could lead to a resurgence of violent militancy in the Niger Delta, a situation that Nigeria struggled with in the past.
Hafsoh Isiaq is a graduate of Linguistics. An avid writer committed to creative, high-quality research and news reportage. She has considerable experience in writing and reporting across a variety of platforms including print and online.
