Rivers Council Boss Accused of Assaulting Teen Girl Over Viral School Exposure in Odiokwu
“A storm of controversy is sweeping through Rivers State after a teenage girl was allegedly assaulted for drawing attention to the deplorable condition of her community’s only secondary school. What began as a social media post highlighting broken structures and unsafe classrooms has now escalated into a police investigation — placing a local government chairman at the centre of a growing accountability debate.”
Tension is mounting in Rivers State following allegations that the Chairman of Ahoada West Local Government Area, Eugene Epelle Cheta, supervised the assault of a teenage girl, Winnie Miller, after she exposed the deteriorating state of a secondary school in Odiokwu community.
Residents of Odiokwu allege that the teenager photographed and recorded videos of the school’s dilapidated infrastructure and shared them on social media in an effort to draw public attention to its condition.
The affected institution — reportedly the only secondary school in Odiokwu, the hometown of the council chairman — has been described by community members as being in a “sorry state,” with crumbling buildings and unsafe learning conditions.
The town is also home to Victor Obuzor, the lawmaker representing Ahoada West/Ogba-Egbema-Ndoni Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives.
According to local sources, instead of initiating immediate steps toward rehabilitation, the council chairman allegedly visited the residence of the teenager’s family alongside associates and security aides. During the visit, the girl was reportedly assaulted and sustained injuries, including a bruised lip.
A resident, Tamuno Briggs, condemned the alleged incident, stating: “No democratic government is above constructive criticism. What the young girl said about the school is true. Assaulting her over it is unacceptable.”
Another community member, Gift Eke, described the situation as intimidation. “Our attention has been drawn to the harassment of Winnie Uchechi for speaking up about the failure to renovate the secondary school in her village. Leadership requires accountability, not violence,” Eke said.
Community members have since called on the Rivers State Commissioner of Police to arrest and prosecute the council chairman over alleged assault occasioning harm, insisting that public office holders must be held accountable under the law.
However, in a statement reportedly issued by the Ahoada West Local Council, Cheta denied supervising or engaging in any assault.
The statement maintained that he visited the girl’s residence for what it described as a peaceful engagement.
“Moments later, the accuser moved aggressively toward the chairman while continuing her verbal attack. A passerby intervened to prevent escalation. In the process of being restrained, she reportedly lost her balance, fell, and sustained minor injuries,” the statement read.
When contacted, the Rivers State Police Command confirmed that an investigation had commenced.
The Command’s spokesperson, Grace Iringe-Koko, disclosed that the teenager sustained bruises when an aide to the chairman allegedly attempted to stop her from speaking during the visit. She added that further investigations are ongoing.
The incident has since sparked wider conversations about freedom of expression, youth activism, and accountability in local governance within Rivers State.
