Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, has alleged that Governor Siminialayi Fubara of Rivers State played a role in the recent destruction of oil pipelines by the militants in the state.

Speaking in defense of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s declaration of the state of emergency, Fagbemi claimed that Fubara not only failed to prevent the attacks but had also indirectly encouraged the militants.

“There was what I would call telegraphing of militants by the Governor”, Fagbemi said.

“He initially suggested that he would beckon on them to let them know when it was time to act. Even If we assume that was just rhetoric, did he come out to disown them when they took action? The answer is no. And barely a week after, we saw the vandalization of pipelines”, Fagbemi emphasized the importance of oil infrastructure to Nigeria’s economy, warning that anyone involved in its destruction is not just an enemy of Rivers State but the entire country.

The AGF justified the suspension of Governor Fubara, his Deputy, and the state’s lawmakers, urging that they had failed to create an atmosphere conducive to governance.

“People were leaving in fear, and some were losing their lives. This is an extraordinary situation that required decisive action”, he added.