By Ayo Ayodele
Amid the political turmoil in Rivers State, members of the Ijaw community in Delta State have sparked controversy by staging a mock funeral for Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory.
A video that has gone viral on X (formerly Twitter) captures a large crowd of Ijaw people dancing and chanting as they carry a casket adorned with a poster of Wike.
The funeral procession, which included the phrase “Wike, rest in peace” in the background song, appears to be a symbolic gesture rather than an actual act of mourning.
The demonstration is linked to the ongoing political crisis in Rivers State, where a state of emergency was recently declared. The mock funeral has provoked mixed reactions online, with some users condemning the act, while others express support for the protest.
One user shared the footage with the caption, “I do not support this. These are some Ijaw people in Delta State holding a funeral service for Wike, with ‘Gone So Soon’ inscribed on a casket.”