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Claim: A Facebook user, Agozi Commedy, claims that the suspended Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has been arrested by the federal government for disobeying President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Verdict: False. The Federal Government did not arrest Governor Fubara. The viral video is from a previous, unrelated event.
Full Text
On March 18, 2025, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers State and suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara, Deputy Governor Ngozi Odu, and all elected state assembly lawmakers for six months. Retired Vice Admiral Ibokette Ibas was appointed as the sole administrator to oversee the state’s affairs during this period.
The decision followed a prolonged political crisis in the state, attributed mainly to the power struggle between Fubara and former Rivers Governor Nyesom Wike, now Minister of the Federal Capital Territory.
Following the declaration of a state of emergency, various narratives surfaced on social media. A Facebook user, Agozi Commedy, shared a video alleging that the Federal Government (FG) had arrested Governor Fubara for disobeying President Tinubu.
The post was captioned: “Breaking News: Federal government has just arrested Rivers State Governor SIM Fubara for disobeying President Tinubu Asiwaju.”
The post has garnered significant engagement, amassing over 2,000 comments, 14,000 reshares, and more than 11,000 likes.
Among those who commented, Adanna Okoye remarked, “Anytime I want to listen to fake news, I come to this page.”
Similarly, Chukwudinma Chukwurah urged others to disengage, stating, “Please, let’s unfollow this man. He is full of lies and fake news!”
Meanwhile, another user, John Omidiran, from Osun State, Southwest Nigeria, expressed scepticism about the situation, saying, “Can someone explain this man’s offence to me? Honestly, this doesn’t add up. We have terrorists, Fulani herders, and kidnappers wreaking havoc across the country, yet no serious action is taken against them. Why are the rights of Rivers people being trampled on so recklessly?”
Due to the issue’s sensitivity, DUBAWA decided to fact-check the claim.
Verification
We conducted a Google Keyword search using “Fubara + Arrest + Tinubu” but found no reports from reputable media houses confirming the governor’s arrest.
We used InVID WeVerify to analyse the over eight-minute video attached to the post. The footage shows a chaotic scene with security aides protecting the suspended governor while police officers fired tear gas canisters.
At five minutes 43 seconds in the video, Governor Fubara is seen addressing the press. He said, “It’s very unfortunate that we are experiencing this kind of situation again, which is similar to what happened nine years ago. Everybody who knows me understands that I stand for truth. I am concerned that a taxpayer-funded facility is being destroyed, just to please someone. From what I have observed, security has been compromised. They were shooting at me, but it doesn’t matter because we all die one day.”
“I want to die so that when people hear the name Fubara, they will remember that I died for this struggle. I am not against anyone, and I have no hidden agenda. I don’t know where all these attacks are coming from, but as the Chief Security Officer of the state, I should be the one ensuring safety,” he added.
Further analysis revealed that the video is old and was taken during an incident a year ago when the Rivers State House of Assembly was gutted by fire. Parts of the video were found in a previous news report by Channels Television titled, “Gov Fubara Inspects Burnt Rivers Assembly Complex Amid Police Resistance.”
DUBAWA’s findings reveal that Governor Fubara was not arrested but vacated the Government House following his suspension.
Conclusion
The claim that the federal government arrested Siminalayi Fubara is false. The viral video circulated is an old clip from a previous event involving the governor’s visit to the Rivers State House of Assembly after a fire incident. There is no credible evidence to support the claim of his arrest.
