By Kolawole Ojebisi
The Sole Administrator of Rivers State, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd.), has warned those he described as “mischief-makers” in the state to desist from testing his restraint through their actions.
Ibas made this claim on Friday while debunking allegations of high-handedness and impunity leveled against him by civil society groups in the state.
Speaking through his Senior Special Assistant on Media, Hector Igbikiowubo, Ibas frowned on the myriads of fake information by persons he described as mischief-makers, saying such development will not do any good to anyone.
While warning against politically motivated protests to test his will, the Sole Administrator said he would continue to exercise restraint, denying unleashing security agents against protesters.
Speaking in an interview with The Punch, the Sole Administrator’s aide, Igbikiowubo, said, “The administration’s will is being sorely tested, especially by those who have a penchant for seizing the opportunity to make trouble, mischief-makers.
“You can see that we have had mischief-makers spreading misinformation and disinformation, making claims, putting it up in social media that the suspended governor and his deputy have been summoned whereas there was nothing like that. And unfortunately, some publications ran with it. Now, how much more can the administration prove to anybody that it has exercised restraint of the highest order despite the mandate?
“At this rate what do we want? For the roofs to come down our heads before we the people exercise restraint? There has to be an effort for us to exercise restraint. So, the administration’s will is being surely tested and that is not good for anybody. The administration will continue to exercise restraint and hope that these political actors will exercise restraint.”
He also denied the allegation of high-handedness and abuse of power leveled against him by CSO, saying, “First, we must remember that a state of emergency has been declared in Rivers State. That is the backdrop against which the administrator is operating.
“Given such a mandate, it is easy for civil society organisations—many of which engage in advocacy—to make sweeping claims. If they allege high-handedness, I would say that is far-fetched. The administrator has shown restraint despite the sweeping powers granted by the emergency declaration.”
The response came on the heels of a petition submitted to the House of Representatives by a coalition of 35 civil society organizations, who condemned what they described as “severe and brazen acts of lawlessness and impunity” under Ibas’ leadership.
In a joint statement signed by the Chairman of the Rivers State Civil Society Organisation, Enefaa Georgewill, and four others, the coalition accused Ibas of undermining constitutional governance.
They alleged that he had used federal authority to intimidate public officers, suppress democratic institutions, and disrupt the proper functioning of government in the state.
“The conduct of Vice Admiral Ibas is not only reckless and unconstitutional but also a slap in the face of democratic values,” the CSOs said. “His actions have aggravated political instability and contributed to the breakdown of institutions in Rivers State.”
The coalition called on the National Assembly to immediately investigate the legality of Ibas’ actions and restore the full function of democratic institutions in the state.
They also demanded that security agents vacate the Rivers State House of Assembly complex immediately, warning that failure to address the issues could lead to public unrest and further erode confidence in Nigeria’s democratic system.
“This is a democracy. Rivers people deserve peace, order, and functioning institutions — not autocracy dressed in federal camouflage,” the statement emphasised.
But speaking in a telephone interview with our correspondent, Ibas’ aide denied the claims, while condemning the spread of false information by what he described as “mischief makers”.
Igbikiowubo warned that such actions would only aggravate the situation and serve no one’s interest.
While acknowledging the charged political climate in the state, Igbikiowubo argued that some of the protests could even be seen as a reflection of the administrator’s tolerance.
“We live in a politically charged atmosphere where some people support the suspended governor while others oppose him,” he said. “It is to the administrator’s credit that no attempt has been made to suppress the protesters. They have been permitted to express their constitutionally protected rights.”
When asked about reports that some protesters had been harassed and teargassed by security operatives, Igbikiowubo blamed “overzealous officers,” stating that Vice Admiral Ibas had given clear directives against any form of suppression.
“The administrator has issued express orders not to muzzle anyone,” he insisted. “But you know how security operatives sometimes overstep their boundaries. That’s not the administrator’s doing.”
“We’ve seen claims circulating on social media that the suspended governor and his deputy were summoned—completely false. Yet some media platforms carried the story,” he said.
“How much more restraint can this administration demonstrate?” he added.
