The Billion-Naira Betrayal: How Power, Greed, and Defiance Set Rivers State Ablaze

A Governor’s Rebellion, a Godfather’s Fury, and the Secret War Over a Fortune Too Big to Hide

In the oil-rich heart of Nigeria, where power is measured in billions and loyalty is bought with silence, a storm was brewing—one that threatened to consume the very soul of Rivers State.

It was supposed to be a smooth transition. Governor Siminalayi Fubara had taken the throne with the blessings of his predecessor, the feared and revered Nyesom Wike. But power has a price, and the debt Wike demanded was too steep for Fubara to pay.

The whispers began in the corridors of power. Rivers State was raking in ₦25 billion in internally generated revenue every month. But under Wike’s reign, the books told a different story—only ₦12 billion was declared.

Where did the rest go?

Then came the bombshell. According to elder statesman Anabs Sara-Igbe, the truth was darker than anyone had imagined. Wike, the kingmaker, demanded half of the declared revenue—₦6 billion naira—every month. Fubara, the anointed successor, was expected to play along, to obey without question, to sign away his power in exchange for peace.

But Fubara did the unthinkable. He refused.

And with that single act of defiance, the master became the enemy.

The godfather turned executioner.

Rivers State erupted. The battle lines were drawn—not just in the streets, but in the very fabric of governance itself. The Assembly, the courts, the creeks—everywhere the fight raged, a silent war wrapped in legislative maneuvers, impeachment threats, and the ever-present specter of violence.

Was this about governance, or was it about a billion-naira empire built in the shadows?

Was Fubara a hero standing against corruption, or a man biting the hand that made him king?

One thing was certain—this was no longer just politics. This was war.

And in Rivers, wars are never fought with words alone.