The whereabouts of Governor Siminalayi Fubara were uncertain on Tuesday night as the military dispatched trucks to the Rivers Government House in Port Harcourt.
The trucks were positioned both inside and outside the Government House on the first night of the state of emergency declared by President Bola Tinubu. This emergency declaration was made in response to attacks on oil installations in Rivers State.
Some militant groups had threatened to blow up pipelines if the Rivers House of Assembly impeached Fubara. Just hours after the lawmakers had served the governor with a notice of alleged misconduct, the militants executed their threat.
In response, the president suspended Fubara and the lawmakers for six months and appointed an administrator for the state.
Following the declaration, around ten military trucks began patrolling the road leading to the main gate of the Government House, with armored vehicles stationed at strategic points along the route.
The road leading to the Government House from the popular UTC junction was deserted, as residents hurried to return to their homes. One resident of Port Harcourt, who wished to remain anonymous, reported that military trucks were present throughout the area.
“The road from the Isaac Boro Park to the popular UTC is deserted,” the source said. “Residents are trying to get back to their homes as nobody wants to get caught in the crossfire. I saw about ten military trucks patrolling the road leading to the Government House, and there are also armored tanks stationed at both entrance roads.”
As of press time, our reporter could not confirm whether Fubara had left the Government House, but sources indicated that he might have anticipated the state of emergency. Reports suggest that the governor held several meetings with members of the suspended state executive council throughout the day.
A former commissioner briefly spoke with our reporter over the phone, mentioning that he was in a meeting with the governor and promising to call back later, but he had not done so by the time of this report.
