Group Urges IGP To Intervene, Avert Communal Clash In Bonny Community Over Cultural Rites

The petition, signed by elders of the Tobin House and made available to newsmen on Saturday, alleged that their compound came under attack on August 22, 2026, the day scheduled for their Eremini and Fongu Mini outing. The family also condemned the arrest of their leader, Elder Darlington Adango Tobin, and accused some Police officers in the area of unprofessional conduct.

According to the Tobin family, the disagreement is between their house and the Brown Chieftaincy Family, led by Engr. Dagogo Lambert Brown. The two houses have had differences over the years concerning participation in the annual cultural rites in Bonny Island.

The Tobin family explained that the Eremini and Fongu Mini Festival for 2026 began on August 1 and is scheduled to end on September 30, 2026. Participation cuts across the Bonny Kingdom. While the Brown House was allocated August 28 for their performance, the Tobin House was scheduled for August 22.

The family said threats and rumours began circulating ahead of their date, suggesting that the Brown House planned to prevent them from performing. The matter was brought to the attention of the Chairman of Bonny Local Government Area, who invited both parties for a meeting.

The Tobin family stated that at the meeting, which was attended by security operatives, the council chairman emphasized that he had no legal basis to stop the Tobin Chieftaincy House from performing in the ongoing festival.

The family further referenced a press statement issued by the Bonny Chiefs’ Council on August 17, 2026. The council, described as the highest custodian of Ibani native law, custom and tradition, stated that the Tobin Chieftaincy House is one of the 34 recognized Chieftaincy Houses in Bonny Kingdom. The statement added that by virtue of that status, the house has the legitimate right to observe, preserve and perform its established cultural and traditional festival, including the Eremini and Fongu Mini Festivals and masquerade display, in accordance with the customs of Bonny Kingdom.

Despite this clarification, the Tobin family alleged that their compound was attacked in the early hours of August 22, 2026, between 3:00 a.m. and 4:00 a.m. They said the attack was carried out by members of a faction of the Brown House led by Dagogo Lambert Brown.

The family said that prior to the scheduled performance, they had written to the Nigeria Police Force, the Department of State Services and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, requesting security presence to ensure a peaceful event. They also said they provided logistics to support the deployment of security personnel.

According to the petition, several members of the Tobin House sustained injuries during the incident. Those named included the Chairman, Wariopusenibo Darlington Tobin, and Wariopusenibo Golden Tobin. The family also reported damage to properties within the compound.

The Tobin family expressed concern that despite the intervention of the IGP Monitoring Team at Force Headquarters in Abuja, the attack still occurred. They also accused the Divisional Police Officer of Finima Division, CSP Mukhtar Mahdi, of conduct they described as unprofessional. The family alleged that the DPO’s actions and inactions did not align with the requirements of his office during the period.

In the petition to the IGP, the Tobin Chieftaincy Family called for a thorough investigation into the August 22 incident, the arrest and prosecution of those involved, and adequate security arrangements to ensure that all recognized houses are allowed to perform their cultural rites without intimidation or violence.

Community stakeholders in Bonny have also appealed for calm, urging both families to respect the position of the Bonny Chiefs’ Council and to allow security agencies to handle the matter in line with the law.

As at the time of filing this report, the Rivers State Police Command has not issued an official statement on the petition.