Tensions in Rivers as angry Ijaw women tear down Wike’s billboards, protest visit

Angry Ijaw women from the Kalabari ethnic group vandalized billboards featuring the image of FCT Minister Nyesom Wike on Saturday in protest against his visit to their community.

The large billboards, positioned at the entrance to Abalama, were part of preparations for a grand reception organized in Wike’s honor by Ijaw stakeholders under the NEW Associates platform.

However, the event faced stiff opposition from Kalabari traditional rulers and local women, who had earlier resisted an Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Eastern Zone meeting at the same venue.

Early Saturday morning, hundreds of women dressed in black with white scarves took to the streets, vowing to block Wike’s entry into the community. They barricaded roads, tore down Wike’s billboards, and chanted protest slogans, carrying placards with messages like “Kalabari, take your stand now!” and “Wike, what do you want in Kalabari land?”

Security operatives had to intervene to disperse the protesters and clear the barricades, allowing Wike’s convoy access to the town.

Despite the demonstrations, the reception proceeded as planned. Enemi Alabo George, Chairman of the Publicity Committee for the event, described Wike as a “friend of the Kalabari kingdom” and noted that local chiefs, leaders, women, and youths welcomed his visit.

“This event was arranged as a thanksgiving service and a grand civic reception to honor the former governor for his contributions to the Kalabari Kingdom,” George stated.

Wike’s visit comes amid rising political tensions between him and Governor Siminalayi Fubara, an Ijaw native. Their ongoing political feud has raised concerns about the stability of Rivers State’s political landscape.