PORT HARCOURT, NIGERIA — The Rivers State chapter of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide has accused former Niger Delta militant leader Asari Dokubo of attempting to incite ethnic violence through what it described as a “false and venomous video.”
In a statement issued on Monday, January 16, and made available to Newpost Africa, the chapter president, Livingstone Wechie, criticised Dokubo’s claims that Igbo communities in Rivers State were behind attacks on Northern Muslims during recent clashes in Rumuokwurusi, Obio/Akpor Local Government Area. Wechie said the video was “inciting and malicious,” aimed at pitching Igbos against their northern neighbours. He clarified that the violence at the Oil Mill Fruit Market on January 14 stemmed from a dispute between Benue and Hausa traders, not Igbo communities.
Wechie stressed that Igbos are neither anarchists nor destroyers, noting their significant population in Rivers State and across northern Nigeria, where they coexist peacefully with other ethnic and religious groups. He emphasised that both Christian and Muslim Igbos live in Rivers State and respect the religious rights of others.
The Rivers State Police Command also confirmed that the incident was a clash between Hausa and Benue traders, not involving Igbos, and that the suspect in the killing had been arrested. Wechie urged the public to disregard Dokubo’s “emotional outburst and combustible propositions,” warning that such rhetoric could destabilise the state. He commended Governor Siminalayi Fubara for his swift intervention, which restored calm and prevented further escalation.
