The women, who described themselves as mothers and wives, appealed directly to President Bola Tinubu to lift the suspension on Governor Fubara.

A crowd of women on Friday flooded the Aba road area of Port Harcourt, demanding the reinstatement of the suspended Governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara, and his deputy, Ngozi Odu.

The protest, which began along the major road, and advanced to the Rivers State Government House, featured placards with bold inscriptions such as “Bring back Fubara”, “Save our democracy”, “Is the law different for Rivers State?”, and “God of justice, arise for Rivers State.”

Chanting songs of solidarity, the women, who described themselves as mothers and wives, appealed directly to President Bola Tinubu to lift the suspension on Governor Fubara and reinstate all democratic institutions in the state.

They decried what they referred to as “unconstitutional military rule masked as a state of emergency,” insisting that Rivers people deserve better than what they termed an undemocratic arrangement.

Speaking to Ekwutosblog, some of the protesters and leaders expressed their frustration over the ongoing political crisis in the state. They noted that despite the situation, Governor Fubara has continued to work, delivering the dividends of democracy.

“We are a peaceful people and do not deserve this kind of injustice. The governor has been doing his job despite the distractions. What is happening now is not democracy,” one of the protesters said.

The demonstration remained peaceful, with women of all ages joining the march. Protest leaders emphasized that their movement was not about politics but about protecting the democratic values of the state.

“We are here to defend our votes and the sanctity of our democracy. This is beyond Fubara; it’s about justice and the future of Rivers State,” one of the leaders noted.

The women had earlier held prayers at Isaac Boro Park before progressing with the march on Aba Road.

Fubara, his deputy, and members of the Rivers House of Assembly were suspended in the wake of the months-long political crisis in the oil-rich state.

Tinubu thereafter appointed a sole administrator, Ibok-Ete Ibas, to run the affairs of the state.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has arrested a Nigerian national, Mercy Ojedeji, 24, for orchestrating a complex fraud scheme involving forged academic documents, romance scams, and immigration violations that prosecutors say aimed to defraud victims of over $1 million.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Ojedeji used forged transcripts, recommendation letters, a résumé, and an English proficiency report to gain admission into a PhD program in Chemistry at the University of Missouri-St. Louis in Fall 2023.

His fraudulent application secured him a full tuition waiver valued at $49,000, along with stipends and other academic benefits.

“Mr. Ojedeji built a false academic profile to deceive a respected institution and gain financial benefits under false pretenses,” said the U.S. Attorney’s Office in a statement released Thursday, April 10.

Authorities say Ojedeji opened a bank account with the forged documents but soon stopped attending classes, failed to fulfill assistantship duties, and did not join any research group.

His behavior led to his expulsion from the university in February 2024 and the revocation of his student visa.

The investigation into Ojedeji began after FBI agents received numerous complaints from victims of romance scams.

Those complaints led agents to a residence connected to Ojedeji’s girlfriend, which was allegedly used to receive proceeds from the scams, including cash and gift cards.

“Between December 19, 2023, and January 4, 2024, agents tracked 35 Express Mail packages to the address.

“Further investigation uncovered that a total of 193 packages had been delivered to the home during the course of Ojedeji’s relationship with the woman,” the FBI reported.

Following a court-approved search of the residence, Ojedeji was arrested and charged with wire fraud and using forged immigration documents.

He has since pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court in St. Louis.

“Ojedeji’s fraud extended beyond academic deception it was a multi-layered scheme that targeted both institutions and individuals,” prosecutors said.

The Nigerian national now faces up to 20 years in federal prison.

Sentencing is scheduled to take place in the coming months.

500K deposit: Man who lost his pregnant wife responds after Reuben Abati, blasted him.

He said …

“Sir, with due respect this is not my first child. When my wife get belle we dey take care of am to the best of my ability and I never come for public or come meet you sir make you borrow me money or make I take feed my children.

I saved money, but I didn’t save N500K. I saved money for that day but they asked me for N500K deposit, not full payment.

All the money wey I fit gather that day e no go pass 100K, I don’t know whether it is an offense if you don’t have up to N500K if your wife wan born.

I don’t know if it’s an offense to live below 500K because you’re saying it’s the highest irresponsibility because I no get N500K. So it’s a crime now to be poor in Nigeria….”