By Niger Delta Herald
The Speaker of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Abraham Ingobere, has strongly denied allegations linking him to a suspected militant and criminal group operating in parts of the state.
The Speaker, through his media team, described the publication, reportedly circulated by Leadership Drive and Reigneth TV Worldwide, as “false, baseless, malicious and without foundation,” saying it was designed to damage his reputation and undermine public confidence in the State House of Assembly.
In a statement signed by the Rt. HAI Media Team on Monday, the Speaker categorically denied having any association, financial or otherwise, with an individual identified as “Sunday” or with any criminal, militant or gang-related organisation.
The statement said the said individual was reportedly a person of interest to security agencies in the state over alleged activities including destruction of government property and disruption of lawful governance and peaceful coexistence in the affected area.
According to the Speaker’s media team, Ingobere has never sponsored, financed, supported, endorsed or encouraged the individual or any criminal activity allegedly associated with him.
It further dismissed as false and defamatory the allegation that the Speaker was a financial sponsor of the group, challenging the publishers and those behind the report to produce credible, verifiable and independently established evidence to substantiate the claims.
The statement particularly questioned the reliance on alleged “confessions” cited in the publication, arguing that their authenticity, circumstances and evidentiary basis had not been independently established by any competent authority.
“It is important to state unequivocally that no credible investigation or official finding by any competent security agency has established any financial, operational or other relationship between the Rt. Honourable Speaker and the group in question,” the statement said.
The Speaker’s media team also expressed concern over what it described as the politically sensitive timing of the allegation, suggesting that political actors could be attempting to use the issue for blackmail, character assassination and misinformation.
It said the publication appeared calculated to distract the Speaker from his constitutional responsibilities, undermine the integrity of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly and inflame public sentiment.
Despite the allegation, the Speaker said he would remain focused on his legislative responsibilities and would not be intimidated or distracted by what he described as political blackmail.
According to the statement, Ingobere remains committed to peace, the rule of law, responsible governance, effective legislation, democratic accountability and the development of Bayelsa State.
The Speaker also reaffirmed that he does not and will never condone criminality, violence, destruction of public property or any action capable of undermining public safety, lawful authority and peaceful coexistence.
The media team called on Leadership Drive and other media platforms that had published or reproduced the allegation to uphold professional journalism, fairness and due diligence, stressing that serious allegations involving criminal association and financial sponsorship should not be presented as established facts without credible evidence.
It also urged relevant security and law-enforcement agencies to investigate the circumstances surrounding the allegations, including the source and authenticity of the claims and any possible sponsorship behind the publication.
The statement further called on the people of Bayelsa State, political stakeholders and members of the public to disregard the allegation, describing it as malicious and politically motivated.
The Speaker maintained that his record of public service, legislative leadership and commitment to the development of Bayelsa State remained a matter of public record and could not be erased by what he described as misinformation, propaganda or character assassination.
The statement was signed by the Rt. HAI Media Team on behalf of Rt. Hon. Abraham Ingobere, Speaker of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly, and dated August 25, 2026.
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