SUNTV Global Channel, March 6, 2026 –
Ex-Minister Demands Arrests as Armed Thugs Target Party Members Ahead of Voter Registration
Former Rivers State governor and ex-Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has called for urgent action from security agencies following an armed attack on his convoy and the burning of a local African Democratic Congress (ADC) office in Ubima community, Ikwerre Local Government Area, Rivers State.
Amaechi was traveling to his hometown on Friday to complete his electronic registration as an ADC member when gunmen reportedly ambushed his convoy along the Ubima–Omuanwa road.
Reports indicate that suspected thugs had earlier set up roadblocks on routes leading to Ubima, turning back vehicles believed to be transporting ADC members and supporters for the registration exercise. The attackers also allegedly set fire to the ADC ward office in Ubima on Thursday night, hours before Amaechi’s visit.
Eyewitnesses said the armed men, reportedly carrying sophisticated weapons, fired shots into the air and riddled the gate of Amaechi’s family residence with bullets. Despite the chaos, Amaechi arrived in the community around midday, with his security detail confronting the attackers, who reportedly fled into nearby bushes.
Addressing party supporters, Amaechi urged calm and discouraged retaliatory action. He commended the swift response of the Rivers State Commissioner of Police, the Director of the Department of State Services (DSS), and the Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
“I will thank the commissioner of police and the director of DSS. They showed a lot of professionalism immediately I made contact with them. I wasn’t expecting that kind of cooperation,” Amaechi said.
Inspecting the burnt party office, he stressed that the perpetrators must be identified and prosecuted to prevent a breakdown of law and order. Amaechi warned that failure to adequately protect lives could force residents to take matters into their own hands.
The former governor also urged ADC members in the state to intensify voter registration and mobilisation ahead of future elections, highlighting the party’s ambition to secure power at the federal level.
“ADC Rivers State, you must register en masse. On election day, they will know whether we will vote or not,” he said.
Efforts to reach the Rivers State Police Command for an official comment were inconclusive at the time of filing, with spokesperson Grace Iringe-Koko promising to provide details of the incident.
