The President of the Niger Delta Congress (NDC) was arrested in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, on Tuesday and is currently being held at the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Rivers State, boldmedia has learned.
His arrest follows the group’s planned protest against President Bola Tinubu’s declaration of emergency rule in Rivers State.
According to a source familiar with the situation, the police had initially invited NDC’s spokesperson, Mudiaga Ogboru, over his criticism of the emergency rule and his call for Niger Delta residents to exercise their civil rights through protests or other means to express their opposition to the presidential directive.
“The police invited Mudiaga Ogboru for questioning after he spoke out against the emergency rule and encouraged Niger Delta people to voice their disapproval through protests or other means. However, instead of waiting for him to respond, they went ahead and arrested the NDC president, who has been in detention since yesterday,” the source said.
Confirming the development, NDC Spokesperson Mudiaga Ogboru told SaharaReporters that he had received two separate invitations—one from the Lagos State Police Command and another from the Rivers State Police Command.
“I actually received two different invitations—one from the Lagos Police Command and another from the Rivers State Police Command. It is regarding our planned protest against the emergency rule in Rivers. Since they could not get to me, they arrested our president in Rivers instead,” Ogboru stated.
A copy of the invitation letter obtained by SaharaReporters reads:
Sir/Madam,
INVITATION TO THE POLICE STATION:
You are invited to meet with the Officer in charge of SID at the above-named Police Station/Post in connection with a case reported on March 23, 2025. This is a fact-finding invitation, and your cooperation will be highly appreciated. Upon arrival, please report to O/C SID of the SID Office, Ikeja, Lagos.
We look forward to seeing you on or before March 25, 2025, at 11:00 AM.
The arrest of the NDC president has sparked outrage among activists and civil rights groups, who see it as an attempt to suppress opposition against the emergency rule imposed by President Tinubu in Rivers State.
Critics have widely condemned the decision, arguing that it is a deliberate move to undermine democracy and silence dissent in the oil-rich region.
