Former Rivers State Head of Service, Chief George Nwaeke, has alleged that suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara orchestrated the bombing of the complex of the State House of Assembly, in Port Harcourt.
Nweke, who served under suspended Governor Fubara and was assumed to be his ally, claimed that the governor directed his Chief of Staff, Edison Ehie to commit the crime.
Also, Nwaeke accused Fubara of colluding with militants to sabotage oil pipelines amid the ongoing political face-off in the state.
He made the claims in an interview he granted on Friday night.
According to Nwaeke, the suspended governor was afraid of suspected impeachment by the 27 lawmakers, which was why he allegedly ordered for the destruction of the Assembly complex.
He claimed he made the confession willingly and not under pressure, adding that he was not pressured to resign.
Nwaeke said, “It all started with the State House of Assembly, where the governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, directed his Chief of Staff to burn down the Assembly in a way to avert his suspected impeachment.
“That evening, Edison was in Government House with many of his boys, including the former chairman of Obio/Akpor, one Mr Chijioke Ihunwo. I was there with them when a bag of money was handed over to Edison for that operation.
“A day after that incident, I almost resigned, but I was very scared because I know the power of a sitting governor and he knew that I am aware of the whole plan.”
The former HoS however, urged the leadership of the Nigerian Labour Congress to call their state chairman to order, saying he must not compromise or be partisan as a democrat.
“Let me draw the attention of the Nigerian Labour Congress to call the attention of their chairman, Rivers State Chapter to order to avoid politicizing Labour.
“I am privy to several private meetings between the Governor and the Labour leader in the state and the largesse that accompanied each meeting to compromise the Labour Union”, he added
This is not my husband speaking — Florence Nwaeke
But later on Friday, his wife, Florence Nwaeke, raised the alarm, saying the George Nwaeke she saw in that interview was not her husband.
The wailing woman, in the interview with Channels TV, said that she had not been able to reach her husband.
According to her, “When he got to Abuja, he called that he had landed. I said, ‘Thank God’.
“The next thing I saw this night (Friday night): people were calling me and said he got an interview. I said, ‘What interview? Interview for what?’
“Not until I saw things flying on the internet that he granted an interview. What happened? I said, ‘That is not my husband. That is not my husband.’
“So I sent him a message. I said, ‘Are you under duress?’ I sent him a message. I said, ‘Have they kidnapped you? Talk to me now. Why are you not talking to me?’.
“Oh, Jesus, help me. Nigerians, help me. My husband is in trouble. My husband is in trouble. My husband is in trouble. My husband is in trouble. Look at the message I sent to him. See the message I sent to him.
“I said, ‘Daddy, why? Were you in hostage?’ I said, ‘Why didn’t you talk to me?’ These are the messages I sent to him, but he didn’t reply to me.
“His numbers are not going through. Nigerians, help me! Nigerians, help me!”
Sim Fubara dismisses allegations made by Nwaeke as false
However, in a statement issued on Saturday, the governor Fubara described the claims as baseless and politically motivated.
“The truth is that Dr. Nwaeke has been compromised, and whatever he is saying is only aimed at fulfilling his promise to those who may have paid or coerced him to lie against me,” Fubara stated.
“I call on all well-meaning Nigerians and the good people of Rivers State to disregard everything said by Dr. Nwaeke as they are mere desperate attempts to discredit me and my administration, and undermine the peace process by Mr. President.”
In the statement, Fubara also dismissed Nwaeke’s assertion that he had been involved in meetings supporting a purported 2027 presidential bid by Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed.
He labeled the claims as “laughable,” insisting that Nwaeke was never part of any high-level political discussions.
Fubara further rejected allegations that he had encouraged attacks on oil pipelines, emphasizing his consistent advocacy for peace in the state.
“There was no time I held any meeting with militants or any criminal group to destabilize the state. It is on record that I have been at the forefront preaching peace in the state, even in the face of obvious provocations,” the governor said.
