An Ijaw leader, Chief Ferdinand Alabraba, who is the Chairman of Rivers Elders Council has declared support on behalf of the group for the decision of President Bola Tinubu to declare a state of emergency in the state and the suspension of Governor Siminialayi Fubara.

Alabraba, an ally of Nyesom Wike, the minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), said Tinubu had intervened earlier in the crisis to ensure that peace prevailed.

He also appealed to the people of the state to prioritise it’s security by work with the Sole Administrator appointed by the president.

Alabraba in a statement said: “The Rivers State Elders Council wish to thank and appreciate Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, for the measures he has put in place to return peace to our dear State.

“The council recalls that, as a visionary Leader and Father of the nation, Mr President intervened earlier in the Rivers State crisis in order to avert the inherent threats to governance and security.”