Rivers: Governor Fubara’s Wife Abducted in Port Harcourt? Fact Emerges

Rivers: Governor Fubara’s Wife Abducted in Port Harcourt? Fact Emerges

  • A Facebook post asserted that Lady Valerie Siminalayi Fubara, the wife of the Rivers state governor, was forcibly seized
  • The supposed abductors were said to be soldiers who were allegedly involved in the rift between Governor Fubara and Nyesom Wike
  • A fact-checking platform investigated the claim and shared its findings in a report published on Tuesday, March 26

Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over 9 years of experience covering public journalism.

Port Harcourt, Rivers state - A message circulating on the social networking site, Facebook, claims there was a gunfight in Port Harcourt, between soldiers loyal to Rivers state governor, Sim Fubara, and those loyal to his predecessor, Nyesom Wike.

Legit.ng reports that Wike is the incumbent minister of the federal capital territory (FCT), and is embroiled in an ongoing feud with Governor Fubara.

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It is not true that Valerie Fubara was abducted
Valerie Fubara was not abducted. Photo credits: Cloud Curve E-media, Government House Media - Rivers State
Source: Facebook

The post made on February 27, 2024, alleged that there was chaos in Port Harcourt due to the shootout and that Fubara’s wife, Valerie, was abducted in the process.

It partly reads:

"The clash, which lasted for several hours, resulted in widespread panic and raised concerns about the deteriorating security situation in the state.
"Eyewitnesses reported that the confrontation began when a convoy of armed soldiers loyal to Governor Wike intercepted a vehicle carrying Siminalayi Fubara and his wife, who were on their way to attend a social event.
"The situation quickly escalated as both sides exchanged gunfire, creating a tense and volatile atmosphere in the heart of the city."

On Tuesday, March 26, 2024, a fact-checking platform, Africa Check, investigated the claim.

Following its scrutiny, the media platform held that there is no evidence of the claim, adding that there is also no credible report of Fubara’s wife being abducted.

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Rivers: Police kill notorious cult leader

In a piece of related news, Legit.ng reported that the killing of Izuma David Odiereke, aka Solution, a notorious cult leader terrorising the Owube Kingdom in Ahoada West local government area of Rivers state was celebrated by residents.

Solution, who had been on the wanted list of the police was killed during a gun battle with law enforcement officers in a forest within the local government area.

Source: Legit.ng

Authors:
Ridwan Adeola avatar

Ridwan Adeola (Current Affairs Editor) Ridwan Adeola Yusuf is a content creator with more than nine years of experience, He is also a Current Affairs Editor at Legit.ng. He holds a Higher National Diploma in Mass Communication from the Polytechnic Ibadan, Oyo State (2014). Ridwan previously worked at Africa Check, contributing to fact-checking research works within the organisation. He is an active member of the Academic Excellence Initiative (AEI). In March 2024, Ridwan completed the full Google News Initiative Lab workshop and his effort was recognised with a Certificate of Completion. Email: ridwan.adeola@corp.legit.ng.