Days after the resignation of her husband, Florence Nwaeke, the wife of a former Head of Service in Rivers State, George Nwaeke, has raised the alarm over his whereabouts, alleging that her husband was held under duress to lie against the suspended state Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
“This morning people started calling to tell me that my husband granted an interview,” Mrs Nwaeke told journalists on Friday. “So when I saw the interview online, I sent him a message and asked if he was under duress or was kidnapped. He didn’t reply to me. His numbers are not going through. Nigerians help me, my husband is in trouble.”
Narrating her husband’s experience under Mr Fubara’s administration, Mrs Nwaeke alleged that the erstwhile head of service was accused of covering Mr Fubara up over a sum of N15 billion allegedly sent to the suspended governor from Abuja.
She further claimed that Mr Nwaeke refused to bow to pressure and eventually resigned from his position instead of signing documents in connection to the said funds.
She stated, “Some people said my husband is trying to cover the governor because he is his friend. But he told them he is not aware of any N15 billion, that he did not have anything to do with the state finances. He told them that he was not covering anything. He later told me he had resigned and that he refused to sign any document in relation to the funds.”
In a press briefing earlier on Friday, Mr Nwaeke stated that he was not pressured to resign from his position, accusing Mr Fubara of orchestrating the crisis that led to the proclamation of state of emergency in the state.
Accusing Mr Fubara of masterminding the bombing of the state’s house of assembly among many other infractions, Mr Nwaeke claimed, “I was there with them when a bag of money was handed over to Edison for that operation, though I do not know the amount inside. I want to tell Rivers people today that the House of Assembly complex in Moscow Road was clearly brought down by Edison Ehie under the instructions of Governor Siminilayi Fubara, I challenge him to an open confrontation.”
He added, “A day after that incident, I almost resigned, but I was very scared because I knew the power of a sitting governor. He knew that I was aware of the whole plan and that I was uncomfortable with the unconscionable act and his deliberate posture of innocence.’’
Meanwhile, Mr Fubara in a statement late Friday accused Mr Nwaeke of compromise, debunking the allegations against him.
“The truth is that Dr. Nwaeke has been compromised, and whatever he is saying is only aimed at fulfilling his promise to those who may have paid or coerced him to lie against me,” the suspended governor said.
On Tuesday, the sole administrator in the state, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, announced Mr Nwaeke’s resignation from his position and immediately appointed Iyingi Brown as the acting Head of Service.
