The Defence for Human Rights and Democracy (DHRD) has claimed that the controversy surrounding the alleged assault of Minnie Ogadinma, a media aide to the Chairman of Ahoada West Local Government Area of Rivers State, Hon. Eugene Epelle, may have been politically motivated.
In a press statement signed by its Chairman, Christopher Clifford Solomon, the group said the issue had generated widespread reactions on social media, with many Nigerians allegedly passing judgment without a thorough investigation of the circumstances surrounding the incident.
According to the group, the matter began with an altercation between Ogadinma and another aide to the council chairman, Monday Uchechi. DHRD stated that the police are currently investigating the dispute.
The organisation also noted that Ogadinma remains a media aide to the council chairman despite the incident.
Providing further context, DHRD said the media aide had earlier raised concerns about the condition of Community Secondary School in Odiokwu community.
However, the group explained that secondary education falls outside the statutory responsibilities of local government councils, noting that under Nigeria’s constitutional arrangement, secondary and tertiary education are primarily handled by federal and state governments, while local governments are responsible for primary education.
The group added that the Odiokwu Community Secondary School had already attracted attention from higher levels of government. It said the member representing Ahoada West/Ogba-Egbema-Ndoni Federal Constituency had nominated the school for renovation as part of his constituency projects in 2024, though implementation was delayed in 2025 due to funding shortfalls.
DHRD also disclosed that the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) had recently adopted the school for extensive remodeling, including the construction of hostels and laboratories.
The rights group questioned the motive behind the viral video allegedly recorded by Ogadinma at the school, suggesting that the action raised suspicions about whose interests she was serving.
According to the statement, civil society organisations including Relief International and the Rivers Civil Society Coalition later intervened and facilitated a peace meeting between the parties involved. During the meeting, the group claimed that a settlement, including financial compensation, was agreed upon by the council chairman.
However, DHRD alleged that Ogadinma left the meeting abruptly after writing down her account details for the agreed compensation. Sources at the meeting reportedly claimed she exited under the pretext of answering a phone call and was subsequently driven away in a vehicle accompanied by armed escorts.
The organisation further alleged that the development raised questions about who was behind the incident and whether the media aide was acting on behalf of political interests.
DHRD also highlighted what it described as key achievements of the Ahoada West council chairman within six months in office. These include the remodeling and commissioning of Ebiriba Town Hall, the ongoing construction of Odhiugbokor Primary School, and the installation of solar-powered boreholes across several communities in the Ubie, Igbuduya and Engenni clusters.
Other projects listed by the group include the purchase of three coaster buses, renovation of corps members’ and staff quarters in Akinima, and the rehabilitation of the Ubeta–Odiereke road.
The organisation also accused Ogadinma and unnamed political actors of attempting to ridicule the council chairman, alleging that some individuals later visited the Odiokwu Community Secondary School with bulldozers and demolished part of the school fence before they were stopped by the lawmaker representing the area in the National Assembly.
DHRD called on the Rivers State Government to investigate the alleged destruction of government property and ensure that anyone found responsible is prosecuted.
The group concluded that available information suggests that the chairman may have been the target of what it described as a “political ambush” allegedly orchestrated by opponents within and outside his administration.
