NIGERIA: Tension In Rivers As Niger Delta Youths Threaten Oil Shutdown Over Political Crisis

By Onoja Baba, Nigeria  

Tension is escalating in Rivers State as the Niger Delta Youth Council (NDYC) has issued a seven-day ultimatum to President Bola Tinubu, threatening to shut down oil production across the region over the ongoing political crisis in the state.

In an open letter signed by its president, Bene Youkore Mamamu, made available to journalists in Delta State on Saturday, the NDYC demanded the immediate restoration of Rivers State’s statutory revenue allocation, an end to any impeachment moves against Governor Similaye Fubara, and a public retraction of alleged anti-Ijaw remarks attributed to former Governor Nyesom Wike.

The group described Wike’s reported comments labeling the Ijaws as a “minority of the minorities” as provocative and a direct attack on the region’s economic and political standing.

Vowing to take decisive action if their demands are unmet, the group accused the federal government of empowering Wike to destabilize the region.

They called on their members to prepare for mass mobilization to disrupt oil production, warning that their planned action would have serious consequences for Nigeria’s already fragile economy.