Protest: ‘The Police Teargassed Them To The Extent An Old Woman Fainted’ – Fubara’s Aide Condemns Security Operatives For Taking Side

The political climate in Rivers State has taken a dramatic turn as two separate protests erupted in the state on Monday, sparked by the ongoing state of emergency and the suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara.

While one group of women rallied in support of the emergency rule, another set gathered to demand the reinstatement of Governor Fubara.

Naijaonpoint reports that in the Ahoada East Local Government Area, approximately 200 women marched in condemnation of the state’s emergency rule and the appointment of Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (Rtd) as Sole Administrator.

The women, mainly from Elleye and Engine communities, held placards demanding the reinstatement of Fubara and an end to the military-style governance in the state.

However, the protest quickly turned violent when security operatives, including police officers, fired tear gas to disperse the protesters. A viral video captured the emotional scenes as several women were seen crying and struggling to breathe after inhaling the teargas.

In the video, an elderly woman without a brassiere was seen being assisted by others, while soldiers attempted to forcefully remove the women’s banners and placards.

One of the women in the video explained the reason for the protest: “We are here to tell President Bola Tinubu that since he declared a state of emergency in Rivers State, it has not been easy. We, the women, are hungry; we are suffering and dying. Sim is our hope. We say bring back our Governor. We love him. We say no to emergency rule in Rivers State.”

As the protest continued, a chorus of “We want Fubara” was heard, with three elderly women kneeling on the ground, calling for peace in Rivers State.

Support For Emergency Rule In Port Harcourt

Meanwhile, in Port Harcourt, another group of women, under the banner of ‘Rivers Women for Peace and Good Governance,’ expressed their support for the emergency rule and the appointment of Ibas as Sole Administrator.

These women, dressed mostly in white, marched peacefully through Port Harcourt, chanting solidarity songs and displaying placards that read, “Emergency rule is Constitutional,” “Rivers women voted for you but you made us your slaves,” and “Investigate Fubara’s bloated contracts award.”

A former commissioner for Social Welfare in the state, Inime Aguma, led the rally and praised the emergency rule, stating that it had brought peace to the state.

She also extended her gratitude to President Tinubu for declaring the state of emergency, emphasizing the lack of governance under the previous administration.

“We said this because our democratic structure was decimated, the House of Assembly was left comatose, and there cannot be any democracy with only two arms of government working.

“We know the doctrine of separation of powers, the executive, the legislature, and the judiciary. For over two years, the legislature was clamped down,” Aguma said.

Aguma reiterated that the emergency rule had provided a semblance of peace in the state, allowing the people to live well under the current arrangement.

While the women supporting the emergency rule were allowed to march freely, the pro-Fubara group faced violent resistance from the police, raising concerns about unequal treatment during the protests.

The Special Adviser to the suspended Governor Fubara on Electronics Media, Jerry Omatsogunwa, in a chat with Punch, condemned the police’s actions, labeling the tear-gassing of the pro-Fubara protesters as a form of political persecution.

He praised the pro-Fubara protesters, calling them “heroes of democracy” and accused the government of stifling their right to peaceful protest.

Omatsogunwa stated, “First and foremost, I want to thank the women in Ahoada for standing and fighting for democracy. And it is like the police have two standards for the same activity right now.

“You can see old women who came out in Ahoada to exercise their right to protest when they see that things are not going well, the police teargassed them. The police teargassed them to the extent that one of them, an old woman, fainted.

“While the ones in Port Harcourt here that said they support illegality and said they support the King Solomon son-division situation that said let us kill the child so that we can prove the owner, they were guarded, protected and directed by the police.

“So I tell you, those women who protested in Port Harcourt, I think they don’t mean well for the state, and the ones that protested in Ahoada, I say kudos. They are the heroes of democracy.

“I think the whole world should keep an eye on the state Commissioner of Police and the sole administrator.

“When the sole administrator came here, he said there was no problem in the state. Maybe he has another agenda because we learnt he is nursing a governorship ambition in his own Cross River State, so he needs to also gather some money just to justify it.”