The President of the Niger Delta Congress (NDC), Chief Nubari Saatah, who was arrested over the group’s planned protest against President Bola Tinubu’s emergency rule in Rivers State, has been released.
This was confirmed to SaharaReporters on Wednesday evening by a member of the pro-democracy TakeItBack Movement, who said the group’s intervention secured the NDC President’s freedom.
“We have just secured his release after he was transferred to the state CID,” the source disclosed.
He further stated that no money was paid as a bail bond but noted that the group had to give an undertaking to inform the police before embarking on any protest.
“Yes, we just signed an undertaking to inform them whenever we want to hold the protest,” the source added.
The NDC President was arrested in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, on Tuesday and detained at the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID).
His arrest followed the police’s invitation to the group’s spokesperson, Mudiaga Ogboru, over his criticism of Tinubu’s emergency rule and his call for the people of the Niger Delta to exercise their civil rights through protests.
A source had told SaharaReporters that instead of waiting for Ogboru to honour the invitation, the police arrested the NDC President instead.
“The police sent an invitation to the spokesperson of the Niger Delta Congress, Mudiaga Ogboru, for criticising the emergency rule in Rivers and for asking Niger Delta people to speak up and exercise their civil rights either by protest or any way to show their disapproval of the presidential order in Rivers State,” the source had revealed.
“Instead of waiting for him, the police went ahead to arrest the president. He has been in detention since yesterday.”
Confirming the development earlier, Ogboru told SaharaReporters that he had received two separate invitations, one from the Lagos State Police Command and another from the Rivers State Police Command.
“Actually, I received two different invitations, one from Lagos Police Command and one from Rivers State Police Command,” he said.
“It is about our planned protest against the emergency rule in Rivers. Since they could not get me, they went ahead to arrest our president in Rivers, who is living in Port Harcourt.”
A copy of the invitation letter obtained by SaharaReporters read: “You are invited to see the Officer in charge SID at the above-named Police Station/Post in connection with a case reported on the 23rd day of MARCH, 2025. It is just a fact-finding invitation and your very co-operation will be much appreciated; on arrival please report to O/C SID of the SID OFFICE, Ikeja LAG.
“Looking forward to seeing you on or before 25TH MAR, 2025:11:00 am.”
The arrest of the NDC President had triggered outrage among activists and civil society groups, who condemned it as an attempt to silence opposition against the controversial emergency rule imposed by President Tinubu in Rivers State.
The Tinubu government’s decision to declare an emergency in Rivers has been widely criticised, with many describing it as a move to undermine democracy and suppress opposition in the oil-rich region.