A controversy is growing in Rivers State over a textbook approved for use by Junior Secondary School 1 students after excerpts showing explicit sexual content were shared online. The book, a play titled “Power Marred US” by Anthony N. Abagha, has drawn sharp criticism from parents and social media users who say the material is inappropriate for children aged 10 to 13.
The posts were made by an X user, Invictus (@sotyman_31), who published images of the book’s pages and claimed the Rivers State Ministry of Education had approved it despite previous complaints. In one of the posts, Invictus wrote that the book remained in use “despite complaints from parents,” and he appealed for help in contacting the Education Commissioner, stating, “they really need to vet the books they approve.”
If you think that's crazy, this is what the Rivers State Ministry of Education approved for JSS 1 students. pic.twitter.com/z520RumP1S
— Invictus (@sotyman_31) April 27, 2026
Excepts from this book. JSS 1, and it's still approved despite complaints from parents. pic.twitter.com/IXs0BwZpJd
— Invictus (@sotyman_31) April 27, 2026
The published excerpts from Abagha’s play contain graphic descriptions. One passage describes a male character fondling a woman with “leathery doughnut fingers” and tracing “the contour lines of the hills and valleys of my rumps and turgid sebaceous glands.” Another line quotes a man commanding, “Come and touch it, come and put life into big bobby.” A subsequent passage refers to a young lecturer who tells the female character that the only thing she possesses is “swell cunt,” adding that her intelligence, fees, assignments, and books “do not count only my pussy.”
When confronted about the content, the author, Anthony Abagha, responded dismissively. In a comment posted two years ago and recirculated online, he wrote, “Please do not fume so much. Today, we have fourteen years graduates all over the world. What you want hidden is already in the open, we will only guide. Thanks.”
That response has only intensified the backlash, with critics arguing that a teacher’s guidance cannot sanitise material they consider pornographic for young adolescents. Calls are mounting for the Rivers State Ministry of Education to withdraw the book and review its approval process. As of this report, the Ministry has not issued a public statement.
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