Ibas under fire for removing Fubara deputy’s vehicles, others

The Sole Administrator of Rivers State, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (rtd.), has been criticized for ordering naval personnel to the residence of the suspended deputy governor of the state, Prof. Ngozi Odu, and forcibly removing three vehicles.

The Guardian gathered that the naval officers, acting on the direct instruction of the sole administrator, carried out the operation in a commando-style raid, taking away two Toyota Hilux vehicles and one Toyota Hiace bus.

The action took place in the early hours of Friday, April 25, and has since sparked widespread condemnation across the state.

Reacting, however, the Senior Special Adviser on Media to the Rivers State Government, Mr Hector Igbikiowubo, confirmed that only one Hilux bus was retrieved for operational purposes because the current administration does not have enough vehicles.

But sources close to the government described Igbikiowubo’s claim as false, maintaining that three vehicles were forcibly removed from the deputy governor’s residence.

Speaking, spokesperson of Democracy Watch Nigeria, Vincent Chimene Wopara, said the development marks a new low in the ongoing disregard for due process and democratic norms under the current administration.

He said the action is a targeted provocation, intended to intimidate and humiliate the office of the Deputy Governor, which remains a constitutionally recognised institution.

He called on Nigerians, civil society organizations, and the international community to take note of the growing trend of militarization and impunity in Rivers State, saying, “It is imperative that those in positions of authority act within the bounds of the law and uphold the dignity of democratic institutions.

“The people of Rivers State deserve governance rooted in law, not in brute force,” he stated.