The unfolding political crisis in Rivers State took another dramatic turn on Friday as Florence Nwaeke, the wife of former Head of Service of the state, George Nwaeke, raised alarm over her husband’s whereabouts.
Late on Friday, a visibly distressed Mrs. Nwaeke told journalists she was deeply worried about her husband’s safety, stating that she had no idea where he was.
Struggling to contain her emotions, she made a desperate appeal for help. “When he got to Abuja, he called that he had landed. I said, ‘Thank God’,” she recounted.
However, what followed left her in shock. “The next thing I saw this 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.’”
According to her, she immediately attempted to reach her husband but received no response. “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?’ This is the message I sent to him when I saw his interview online.”
Overwhelmed with fear, she continued her plea. “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!”
Her distress call came after her husband had granted an exclusive interview in which he made several allegations against Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
Among other claims, Mr. Nwaeke alleged that the governor was supporting Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed’s 2027 presidential ambition and that he had held meetings encouraging militants to carry out attacks on oil facilities and other assets.
In another video, Mrs. Nwaeke directly appealed to Governor Fubara to intervene. “Governor, help me. My husband is in trouble,” she pleaded.
“He is in trouble.” She further claimed that her husband had been forced to resign under pressure and was now being coerced into making false statements.
“I said, ‘Daddy, why? Were you in hostage?’” she repeated. “Why didn’t you talk to me?”
Meanwhile, Governor Fubara responded to the allegations by dismissing them as baseless, suggesting that Mr. Nwaeke had either been paid or forced to make false claims against him.
“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,” the governor said in a statement late Friday.
To support his position, the governor shared screenshots of alleged chats between Mr. Nwaeke and his Chief of Staff, Ederson Ehie.
The chats appeared to show Mr. Nwaeke seeking financial support and pledging loyalty in return, citing his N500,000 salary as insufficient to meet his needs.
