The fallout from Dr. George Nwaeke’s resignation as the former Head of the Rivers State Civil Service took an unexpected turn on Saturday when he dismissed claims by his wife, Florence, that he had been abducted.
In a video statement released early Saturday, Dr. Nwaeke declared that he was safe in Abuja, where he had traveled voluntarily to meet with security agencies regarding the ongoing political crisis in Rivers State.
“I am in TRANSCORP Abuja. I arrived this morning from Port Harcourt to meet security agencies and report myself, as well as address the troubling events happening in Rivers State. I resigned as Head of Service on Monday because of these developments,” he stated.
He further alleged that his wife had been manipulated into making the kidnapping claims. “I just saw a video of my wife trending. She was misled and given a script to read. Let me be clear—I have not been kidnapped. I am in Abuja, working. When I was Head of Service, my wife was not involved in my official duties. That script she read is baseless. I am safe and sound,” he affirmed.
Florence Nwaeke, in an emotional interview on Friday, expressed concerns over her husband’s safety, stating that she had been unable to reach him since his arrival in Abuja.
“When he got to Abuja, he called to say he had landed. I thanked God for his safety,” she recounted. “But later, I started receiving calls that he had granted an interview. I was confused—what interview? Interview for what?”
Describing her frantic attempts to contact him, she added, “I sent him messages. I asked, ‘Are you under duress? Have they kidnapped you? Please talk to me now. Why are you not responding?’ But he didn’t reply. His numbers are not going through. Nigerians, help me! My husband is in trouble.”
The controversy erupted after Dr. Nwaeke publicly accused Governor Siminalayi Fubara of orchestrating the 2023 bombing of the Rivers State House of Assembly to prevent his impeachment. He claimed to have witnessed a bag of money being handed over to Edison Ehie, the former Assembly leader and now Fubara’s Chief of Staff, allegedly to facilitate the attack on the Assembly Complex along Moscow Road, Port Harcourt.
As the political drama unfolds, tensions in Rivers State continue to rise, with many questioning the circumstances surrounding Dr. Nwaeke’s resignation and his latest allegations. The unfolding events add another layer of intrigue to the already heated political landscape in the state.