Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara was charged on Wednesday by Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Justice Minister Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, with teledirecting militants to destroy vital national infrastructure.
The ongoing political instability was cited by the AGF, according to reports, to support President Bola Tinubu’s recent proclamation of a state of emergency in the state.
The governor, according to Fagbemi, may have subtly encouraged the attacks in addition to failing to take action against the extremists.
Since we live in a democracy, he claimed, “the governor has now engaged in what I will refer to as telegraphing of the militants.” And the reason I said that was because he admitted at the beginning that he would notify them when it was time to take action against the extremists.
With the statement, “Did he come out to disown them?,” the AGF asked if the governor had ever separated himself from the militants’ activities. “No” is the answer. They then took action, and you may see or witness oil pipeline vandalism a week later.
Considering how dependent Nigeria is on oil exports, Fagbemi also underlined the significance of safeguarding the country’s oil infrastructure.
According to Fagbemi, “Anyone who touches the pipeline is not only an enemy of Rivers but also of Nigeria,” highlighting the seriousness of the attacks on such vital national assets.
The Supreme Court’s ruling, which the AGF claimed served as the legal basis for President Tinubu’s move, was connected to the declaration of state of emergency.
According to Fagbemi, Fubara, his deputy Ngozi Odu, and members of the Rivers State House of Assembly had to be suspended due to the political unrest in the state, namely the governor’s and the legislature’s incapacity to create a stable regime.
Rejecting claims that the state of emergency was proclaimed in a hurry, Fagbemi addressed those who criticized the president’s prompt action.
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He said that the unique circumstances justified such an extreme response, saying, “People were living in fear while others were dying.”
Insisting that the circumstances in Rivers State were distinct and necessitated prompt action, he also dismissed analogies to earlier instances in which the Supreme Court rendered decisions on comparable orders of state of emergency.
Lastly, the AGF said that Rivers State’s declaration of emergency also acted as a warning to other states.
If similar political unrest and security issues occurred elsewhere in the nation, he said, the government might be able to enforce harsher penalties.
