In a stunning turn of events, the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, has made a damning accusation against Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, alleging that he “tele-guided” militants to sabotage vital oil pipelines in the state.
This explosive claim surfaced as Fagbemi sought to validate President Bola Tinubu’s decision to declare a state of emergency in Rivers, citing the prolonged political turmoil that has rocked the state.
Following a high-stakes meeting with the President at the Presidential Villa on the 19th of March, 2025, Fagbemi addressed State House Correspondents, insisting that Fubara was complicit in the unrest by allegedly keeping militants on standby as a defensive measure against looming impeachment threats.
According to the AGF, the Governor’s failure to actively dissuade the militants from their destructive plans was a deliberate act that endangered critical national assets.
He stated: “We are in a democracy. There was what I will call telegraphing of the militants, I will say, by the governor. And the reason I said so was when he began, he said oh, he will let them when it was time to act to the militant.
“Let us say it was wrong. Did he come out to disown them? The answer is no. And a week after, they swung into action, you see or witness vandalization of oil pipelines.”
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Fagbemi underscored the gravity of the alleged sabotage, emphasizing that in an oil-dependent economy like Nigeria’s, tampering with pipelines is not just an attack on Rivers State but a direct assault on the entire nation.
Beyond the alleged militant ties, he also pointed fingers at Fubara and the state house of assembly members, holding them responsible for fostering a chaotic political climate that crippled governance.
Amid growing criticism that the president’s declaration of emergency was premature, Fagbemi defended the move, stressing that the situation had reached a critical point where people lived in fear, and lives were being lost.
He further asserted that the suspension of both the Governor and his deputy was an extraordinary measure warranted by an extraordinary crisis.