President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will lift the state of emergency in Rivers State as soon as normalcy is restored, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, has assured.

The Minister gave this assurance in an interview with The Nation:

“As soon as he assesses that sanity has returned to Rivers State, he will ensure the restoration of all democratic structures in that state,” he added.

Idris assured that Tinubu remains committed to ensuring Rivers State returns to full democratic governance as soon as possible.

“The President will not wait a minute longer than necessary,” he said.

The Minister emphasised that Tinubu had no intention of taking over the governance of the state or appointing a Governor.

“The President has no intention whatsoever to take over the governance of Rivers State. He has no intention to be or to appoint a governor for Rivers State,” he said.

Idris defended the President’s decision, describing it as “a very responsible but very painful” action taken in line with constitutional provisions.

According to him, governance in Rivers State had completely broken down with the Assembly non-functional and the executive arm facing serious challenges.

“The way democracy is designed in this country is that the three arms of government must work together, and one will be checking the other.

“So, we cannot have just the executive functioning and say we have a functional democracy. We didn’t have that, and therefore, the President had to act,” he explained.

The Minister maintained that the President acted within his constitutional powers to prevent the state from descending further into violence and lawlessness.

According to him: “Those who designed our constitution envisaged that this kind of situation could arise, and that was why they made the provision for it. The President relied on the constitution to exercise his powers and take action.”

Residents of Obianime-Ama Community in Okrika Local Government Area of Rivers State are in fear mode following the discovery of a ruptured pipeline leaking an unidentified petroleum product in broad daylight.

The incident, which occurred on Sunday, has raised concerns about potential environmental hazards and safety risks in the area.

It was gathered from sources that the affected pipeline belongs to the Pipeline and Products Marketing Company (PPMC), a subsidiary of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL).

Eyewitnesses reported that the leakage began around 2:30 pm near a location opposite the PPMC facility in Okrika LGA.

Ruptured pipeline leaking an unidentified petroleum product
Despite efforts by community members to contain the spill, the situation remains unresolved, prompting residents to cordon off the area and restrict vehicular and motorcycle movement as a precautionary measure.

Pictures made available to Channels Television revealed the extent of the leakage, with residents expressing frustration over the lack of immediate response from the pipeline’s operators.

While some speculated that the rupture might have been caused by vandalism, others dismissed the possibility, citing the presence of security personnel guarding the facility nightly.

One resident, who chose to remain anonymous, stated, “It can’t be vandalism. People guard this place every night, so that kind of thing is impossible. The pipeline is old and needs to be replaced.”

Efforts to reach the Chairman of the Obianime-Ama Community Development Committee and the management of PPMC for comments were unsuccessful at the time of filing this report.

Meanwhile, the Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre (YEAC-Nigeria) issued a press release on Sunday, confirming the incident and calling for urgent action.

According to the statement signed by its Executive Director, Fyneface Dumnamene Fyneface, the leakage and subsequent explosion occurred on the PPMC pipeline right of way in Okrika.

The incident was reportedly linked to ongoing maintenance work by contractors following an earlier incident on Thursday, March 20, 2025.

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YEAC-Nigeria’s youth volunteers, under the One Million Youth Volunteers Network of Human Rights Defenders and Promoters in the Niger Delta, documented the incident with video evidence showing flames erupting from the pipeline.

The inferno was eventually extinguished later the same day. The organization has called on relevant authorities, including the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA), to conduct a Joint Investigation Visit (JIV) to determine the cause of the leakage and explosion.

YEAC-Nigeria also urged the government to hold accountable those responsible for the incident, invoking applicable sections of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), 2021.

Fyneface emphasized the need for a thorough investigation into the recurring oil spillages and explosions in the Niger Delta, particularly in Rivers State, to mitigate their adverse environmental and socio-economic impacts.

As the situation in Obianime-Ama remains tense, residents are calling for swift action to repair the pipeline and prevent further damage to their community and environment.

A fuel-laden tanker went up in flames at the A.A Rano filling station in Hannun Riga, near the General Hospital and the ‘B’ Division of the Nigeria Police in Kontagora, Niger State.

The fire erupted around 7 pm on Sunday while Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), commonly known as petrol, was being offloaded from the tanker. According to eyewitnesses, the fire started during the offloading process, raising fears of escalation as other fuel storage tanks still contained petrol.

One of the witnesses, Abba Mohammed, stated, “Fire Service personnel are making efforts to contain the blaze, but the situation remains tense as the flames continue to spread.”

While no casualties have been reported, the incident sparked panic, forcing bystanders and nearby residents to flee for safety.

Attempts to contact the Director General of the Niger State Emergency Management Agency, Abdullah Baba Arah, for comments were unsuccessful as his phone line was unreachable.