Tension Rises In Rivers State As Youth Groups Threaten Oil Shutdown Over Political Crisis

Palpable tension has gripped Rivers State as youth groups, under the umbrella of the Niger Delta Youth Council (NDYC), have threatened to shut down oil production across the region due to the ongoing political impasse in the state.

The youth groups have issued a seven-day ultimatum to President Bola Tinubu, demanding the immediate restoration of Rivers State’s statutory revenue allocation, an end to all impeachment plots against Governor Similaye Fubara, and a public retraction of anti-Ijaw remarks allegedly made by former Governor Nyesom Wike.

In an open letter to the president, signed by NDYC President Bene Youkore Mamamu, the group warned that failure to meet their demands could lead to a total halt in oil production across the Niger Delta—a move that could have severe consequences for Nigeria’s already fragile economy.

The letter, copies of which were made available to journalists in Warri, Delta State, on Saturday, expressed concern over Wike’s reported comments describing the Ijaws as a “minority group of the minorities.”

The NDYC condemned the statement, calling it “provocative, inflammatory, and a declaration of economic and political war.”

The letter partly reads: “We are ready to shock the world in seven days. We are prepared to take decisive action if our demands are not met.”

The group further emphasized the significance of the Niger Delta’s oil wealth, stating, “The oil that fuels this nation flows from our land. As the fourth-largest and one of the most populated ethnic groups in Nigeria, we will not allow Wike—who is suspected of being used by the Presidency—to sabotage our region and undermine Ijaw history.”

The NDYC also accused Tinubu’s administration of empowering Wike and the judiciary to suppress the Ijaw people and the Niger Delta region.

They cited frequent impeachment threats against Governor Fubara, the seizure of state allocations, and alleged atempts to rewrite the history of the Ijaw nation as examples of this suppression.

The group concluded by calling on its members to mobilize and prepare to disrupt oil production across the region if their demands are not met within the seven-day ultimatum.