Unidentified youths have vandalized a massive billboard featuring the suspended Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara.
This incident occurred in the Obio/Akpor Local Government Area on Saturday, April 12, 2025, and was captured on video.
Pulse reports that Nyesom Wike, once a political ally of Fubara and now a rival, is the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister and hails from Obio/Akpor.
The viral footage shows four youths tearing down the billboard, which also showcased the face of Fubara’s strong supporter and former Chairman of Obio/Akpor LGA, Chijioke Ihunwo.
ALSO READ: Emergency Rule: NBA accused of not fighting enough to protect democracy in Rivers
While the precise location of the vandalism remains unclear, the gigantic billboard is prominently positioned overlooking the road.
“Even from the down, tear it from that side, it will come down. I will bring the new one,” one of the vandals remarked, as another voice greeted, “Honourable”, leading to their exchange of pleasantries.
Throughout the three-minute video, a female voice is audible while one youth climbs the billboard, persistently tearing off the material.
His accomplices join in, pulling what appears to be thick paper from the holder until the billboard is stripped bare.
This act of vandalism may be connected to the ongoing political turmoil in Rivers State, stemming from prolonged conflicts between Fubara and his former mentor, Wike.
Pulse reported that a protest erupted in the state on Friday, April 11, 2025, where a group of women fervently urged President Bola Tinubu to lift the suspension imposed on Fubara and his Deputy, Ngozi Nma Odu, and to restore all democratic institutions within the state.
The demonstrators wielded placards with bold slogans such as “Bring back Fubara,” “Save our democracy,” and “Is the law different for Rivers State?”, among others, as they marched to the Rivers State Government House.
ALSO READ: Nigerian economy, security need state of emergency, not Rivers – Ndume tells Tinubu
They condemned the actions they described as “unconstitutional military rule masked as a state of emergency,” asserting that the people of Rivers deserve better than what they labeled an undemocratic arrangement.
