A dramatic standoff unfolded in Rivers State on Tuesday night as Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his family were allegedly held hostage at the Government House in Port Harcourt by heavily armed soldiers, sources confirmed to Peoples Gazette.
The shocking incident occurred just hours after President Bola Tinubu declared a state of emergency in the state, citing escalating political tensions fueled by lawmakers loyal to former Governor and current FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike. These lawmakers had recently attempted to impeach Fubara in what is widely believed to be Wike’s strategy to retain political dominance over the state.
Following Tinubu’s announcement, soldiers reportedly took control of the Government House, blocking all entrances and exits. Sources inside the premises said the governor and his family were effectively trapped, with security forces refusing to let anyone leave.
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“We are being held hostage,” an official inside the Government House told Peoples Gazette on Tuesday night. “The soldiers told us they don’t have instructions to let anyone leave.”
The scope of the military’s mandate remains unclear, raising concerns about potential overreach in enforcing the emergency order. The Nigerian Army and Defence Headquarters have yet to issue an official statement on the situation.
This latest development further deepens the crisis in Rivers State, where power struggles between Fubara and Wike’s loyalists have fueled intense political instability in recent months.