State of Emergency: How Fubara Allegedly Directed Militants to Bomb Pipelines – AGF

Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) accuses suspended Rivers Governor Siminalayi Fubara of coordinating militants to attack pipelines, escalating the state of emergency crisis.

The Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, has accused Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, of inciting militants to damage oil pipelines within the state.

During a statement on Wednesday, Fagbemi supported President Bola Tinubu’s choice to declare a state of emergency in Rivers, attributing it to the ongoing political turmoil. He contended that even if Fubara was not directly responsible for the assaults on vital national infrastructure, he nonetheless failed to avert them.

He remarked, “We are in a democracy. There have been indications of the militants being encouraged by the governor. I say this because he previously mentioned that he would inform them when it was time to act.

“Assuming this was inappropriate, did he publicly disavow them? The answer is no. Shortly thereafter, they initiated actions that resulted in the vandalism of oil pipelines.”

He further emphasized that given the nation’s heavy reliance on oil, any attack on the pipelines constitutes not only an affront to Rivers but to Nigeria as a whole.

Fagbemi indicated that the Supreme Court’s ruling served as the foundation for Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State, aimed at safeguarding the state’s critical infrastructure.

He noted that both the governor and the members of the state assembly needed to be suspended due to their failure to create a conducive environment for governance.

In response to criticisms regarding the president’s decision being premature, he highlighted that citizens were living in fear and that lives were being lost.

He stated that the suspension of both the Governor and his deputy was warranted due to the extraordinary circumstances.

Fagbemi also challenged the viewpoint held by some that the Supreme Court’s previous rulings on state emergency declarations were applicable, emphasizing that the current situations and events are distinct.

The AGF stated that the responsibility now lies with the National Assembly, which has the power to overturn the suspensions by withholding the two-thirds majority required to approve such actions.

Additionally, he remarked that the declaration of a State of Emergency in Rivers State serves as a cautionary message to other states, suggesting that the government may implement more stringent measures.