Claim: Unidentified thugs invaded Rivers State Assembly and abducted the Speaker of the House, Martin Amaewhule amid a process to impeach the state Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
Verdict: Misleading.
Full Text:
A Facebook page claimed that thugs invaded Rivers State Assembly and abducted the Speaker of the House, Amaewhule during the process of impeaching the state governor, Fubara.
Ripples Nigeria reports that President Bola Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers State last Tuesday night.
The president, cited the prolonged political instability, constitutional breaches, and security threats as reasons for the extraordinary measure.
In the national broadcast, Tinubu also suspended governor Fubara, his deputy, Ngozi Odu, and all elected members of the Rivers State House of Assembly for an initial period of six months.
Ripples Nigeria also reports that issues cited for the pronouncement involve a power struggle between Governor Fubara and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, now the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory.
While the state of emergency continues to stir reactions across regions and on social media, the Facebook page with 314k followers made the assertion that the Rivers State Speaker was kidnapped.
The post also claims that Wike said to Fubara: “I brought you to power with blood and I will take you out with blood.”
Verification:
Ripples Nigeria keyword search reveals no reports of the invasion or kidnapping of Rivers State Speaker. Hon. Amaewhule has made comments on different occasions about the state of emergency declared in the state.
He recently commended Tinubu’s decision, in a letter written to the President “on behalf of the Rivers House of Assembly”.
Using Google Reverse, it was discovered that the image attached to the post is from a disruption of a session in Nigeria’s Senate in 2018, when the mace was reportedly stolen.
Further, the threatening statement attributed to Wike cannot be ascertained. Ripples Nigeria reports, however, that the feud between Wike and Fubara dates back to 2023, with the parties exchanging heated words.
Conclusion:
The claim that the Rivers State Speaker Hon. Amaewhule was kidnapped is misleading.
By: Quadri Yahya