David Edevbie In Eye Of Storm Over Brother’s Arrest Of Content Creator Over Abandoned NDDC Project

David Edevbie, a former Delta State finance commissioner and two-time PDP governorship candidate, is at the center of a brewing storm after his brother, Matthew, arrested a comedian who criticized an NDDC project linked to his company.

The Isoko-born comedian, Ajirioghene Otagba popularly know as MC2Kingdom was said to have called out elderly Edevbie over an NDDC electricity project awarded to his company which was ‘abandoned’ many years ago.

But the younger Edevbie, a protege of former governor, Chief James Ibori, who is eyeing Delta governorship in 2027, have been receiving bashes on social media since his brother took the decision to arrest the said comedian for alleged cyberstalking.

MC2Kingdom was picked up in Lagos by the IG Monitoring Unit on Friday after a video he made calling out Matthew over the abandoned Isoko 132 KVA substation electricity project went viral. Edevbie was said to have alleged cyberstalking in his petition to the police, claiming the content creator had defamed him over his claims on the footage.

Otagba was reportedly detained at Force Headquarters Annex, Obalende Lagos and subsequently transferred to Maitama Area Command in Abuja where he is being detained.

BIGPEN NIGERIA (https://bigpenngr.com) reports that the development which is brewing tension in Delta state, with several pressure groups condemning the arrest and demanding unconditional release, has opened a new chapter in the political landscape of the state as multiple respondents on social media was veering their anger on David.

Apex Isoko youth group, Isoko National Youth Assembly (INYA) and some pressure groups, including Isoko Comrades Community Worldwide (ICC-Worldwide), on Sunday warned of “dire consequences” if within the next 48 hours, Otagba is not release unconditionally as they vowed to stage a mass protest against the NDDC contractor, Matthew in Delta and Abuja.

The planned protest by youths against Matthew Edevbie may have far-reaching implications for the governorship ambitions of his younger brother as the negative publicity generated by the protest could may harm his reputation and erode public trust in his ability to lead the state effectively if he eventually contest.

Pundits additionally believe, the protest may embolden other groups and individuals to take to the streets to express their grievances, potentially creating a ripple effect of unrest across the state.

This is coming as many youths are threatening to occupy David Edevbie accounts on social media to prod him to prevail on his brother to release the content creator unconditionally or be prepare to face their wrath.

Already, a Isoko socio-cultural and non-partisan organisation, Enyaharo Okugbe Emo Isoko (Enyaharo Isoko), have taken a strong stand against Edevbie, describing the development ‘an affront on the sensibility of the Isoko nation”.

President of Enyaharo, Mr. Amos Iwary, said over the weekend that it is an act of aggression and oppression of a poor Nigerian youth and whistle-blower, saying; “You cannot fart on someone and then turn around to give him a knock on the head for your indiscretion. That’s exactly what Mr. Edevbie has done to the entire Isoko Nation.

“He alone failed to complete a contract he duly won over 15 years ago. Upon being asked to return to the site to complete it, he replies by arresting an Isoko son who is affected by Edevbie’s breach of contract that denies him (Otagba and millions of Isoko people) power to run their business”.

As if that was not enough, the group threw a challenge to Governor Sheriff Oborevwori to call Edevbie to order.

“Enyaharo Isoko therefore calls on Delta State governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, to immediately set processes in motion to compel Edevbie and his company to return to site to complete the Ozoro Power Sub-station’s upgrade from the initial 132KVA contract awarded him.

“Isoko has suffered enough power problems on account of Edevbie’s contract breach.

“Edevbie is killing businesses in Isoko while his people in Ughelli enjoy uninterrupted power supply.

“Edevbie’s action is a sabotage of the business aspirations of Isoko people. Edevbie is preventing new businesses from being established to engage our army of youths”, the group said.

“Edevbie might deceive himself that he arrested only one Isoko son. But in fact, he has arrested the entire Isoko nation for demanding for what is theirs by right. Isoko will not stand by and let this injustice go unchallenged and unpunished, they declared.

Neither Matthew Edevbie nor his two companies, Flank Power Resources Limited and GMFD Ventures Limited, linked to the NDDC abandoned 132 KVA Substation Electricity Project at Ozoro have offered any explanation to why the project was abandoned nearly 14 years ago.

He has not also confirmed if the said project was awarded to his company or not but multiple sources revealed that the abandoned 132/33KVA substation in Ozoro was actually awarded to Chief Matthew Edevbie’s company by the NDDC in the early 2000s.

Confirming this, Senator representing Delta South in the national Assembly, Senator Joel-Onowakpo Thomas, in a statement on Sunday lamented that the project has been “left to rot, leaving our community in darkness”.

However, multiple reports alluded that the project may have ran into murky water of alleged fraud case prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in which N827.6 million was forfeited to the federal government by Matthew Edevbie, the Chief Executive Officer of Flank Power Resources Limited and GMFD Ventures Limited in 2020.

Meanwhile, in a bid to douse tension and forestall possible break down of law and order, Senator Joel-Onowakpo Thomas, have reached out to Matthew in a move to resolve the matter.

Joel-Onowakpo Thomas who expressed the “pain and frustration” of the Isoko people over the long-abandoned project, said he would “stand by the people on the matter”, expressing displeasure that despite Uzere where oil was first discovered after Oloibiri in Bayelsa, making Isoko one of the largest onshore crude oil producer in the country, “our people continue to suffer”.

While saying that “individuals have the right to speak out against injustice and bring attention to their plight” Onowakpo-Thomas, urged the people to exercise restraint, choose understanding, compassion and dialogue to build a peaceful Isoko Nation and Nigeria.

As the Senator of Delta South, he assured the people of commitment to finding solutions to the community’s problems. “I’ll continue to work with stakeholders to ensure that our community receives the development it deserves”, he added

Urging the people to stand strong together, he said he has initiated talk with Chief Matthew Edevbie, NDDC MD, Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, the President-General of Isoko Development Union- Prof Chris Akpotu and a host of others in a bid to resolve the matter and possibly restart the project

“I’ve been in talks with Chief Matthew Edevbie, and he has agreed to take steps to release the detained young man, aiming to ease tensions and prevent further unrest. I urge our leaders to take immediate action to calm nerves down to avoid breakdown of law and order.

“Before this incident, myself, Chief Matthew Edevbie, NDDC MD, Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, the President-General of Isoko Development Union- Prof Chris Akpotu and a host of others have been working behind the scene to restart this project. I will suggest that, we allow this process to yield results as soon as Chief Matthew Edevbie releases Ajirioghene as promised”, he enthused.