Rivers LG chairman accused of assaulting female aide

Wednesday, March, 4 2026 - The Chairman of Ahoada West Local Government Area, Hon. Eugene Ekpelle, is facing allegations of assault made by his former media aide, Minnie Ogadinma.

Ogadinma alleged that the council chairman ordered his brother, Monday Cheta, to attack her for allegedly attempting to tarnish his image.

Trouble started after Ogadinma made a social media post highlighting the deteriorating condition of Community Secondary School, Odioku.

She alleged that the chairman visited her residence on Sunday evening after her video.

According to her, the chairman accused her of trying to damage his reputation and subsequently directed his brother, Monday Cheta to “teach her a lesson.”

She further alleged that Cheta assaulted her and attempted to use a shovel during the altercation, claiming the situation was only brought under control by neighbours who intervened.

Ogadinma said both she and her mother sustained injuries during the incident and disclosed that she was relieved of her duties as a media aide the same Sunday.

Detailing her account, she stated, “On Thursday, I visited my community secondary school in Odioku.

“When I got there, I saw how bad the school was. They don’t have chairs, no roof over their head. So I made a video calling for help.

“I tagged VeryDarkMan in my post, asking him to come renovate the school for us.

“Yesterday, I was in my house with my mother. Then the chairman came, himself, his younger brother, Monday Cheta, and the security man with the driver.

“They came down from the vehicle. And then when my mummy tried to greet the chairman, the next thing he said was that your daughter wants to damage his image online.

“Then he asked his junior brother, Monday Cheta, that he should teach me a lesson. That was his word. Go and teach this small girl a lesson.

“I was inside my compound. Monday pushed down my gate, pushed my mother. My mummy even had injury on her lips because she had an accident before now that they stitched.

“So, when he pushed my mummy, my mummy started bleeding from her mouth.

“So I ran into my compound. Then Monday entered my compound, started beating me. And then the chairman told him that he should kill me.

“My mom raised an alarm, and my neighbors came around. They had to come and rush him. He used a shovel that he wanted to hit me with.

“Then they rushed him, and they had to separate him from where I was.

“The next thing I heard from the chairman was that even if I should die, that nothing would happen to him, that nobody would do anything to him.”

However, the chairman denied the allegations.

In a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Dennis Ezeuwa Lot, the council described the claim as “false, malicious, and deliberately distorted,” insisting that the Chairman neither assaulted nor directed anyone to assault Ogadinma.

The statement maintained that the Chairman had visited the residence for a peaceful engagement and alleged that Ogadinma confronted him with insults.

It added that she later fell and sustained minor injuries while being restrained by a passerby during a heated exchange.

“At no point did the Chairman engage in any physical confrontation,” the statement said, challenging those promoting the allegation to provide verifiable evidence.

The council further clarified that issues relating to Community Secondary School, Odiokwu fall under the jurisdiction of the Rivers State Government, not the local government, and urged the public to disregard what it termed attempts to create political tension.

Reacting to the development, a Port Harcourt-based human rights lawyer, Chetam Nwala condemned the alleged actions, describing it as “a serious disappointment from a public leader,” and called on security agencies to ensure justice is served.

Also speaking at a media briefing in Port Harcourt on Tuesday, the Director of Pilex Centre for Civic Education, Courage Nsirimovu, said Ogadinma “acted within her constitutional rights as a Nigerian citizen to monitor public projects in her community.”

Similarly, the Director of Relief International Africa, Green Isaac called for the “immediate arrest and prosecution of the council chairman, a public apology and compensation for medical expenses and displacement.”