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The suspended Governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara, has refuted allegations that he has a link to militant groups.
How it began
On Tuesday, President Bola Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers State.
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Mr Tinubu also suspended Governor Fubara, Deputy Governor Ngozi Odu, and all the House of Assembly members for an initial six months.
The president consequently appointed Ibok-Ete Ibas as the sole administrator of the state.
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Since Mr Fubara’s controversial suspension from office, oil facilities have reportedly been targeted in Rivers State amid the political crisis in the south-southern state.
This fuelled speculations that the suspended governor has ties to militant groups responsible for the recent pipeline explosions and attacks on oil facilities in the state.
No link
But reacting in a statement on Monday by his spokesperson, Nelson Chukwudi, Mr Fubara denied the speculations.
The suspended governor said those behind the speculations were “trying very hard to connect” him to the reported attacks on facilities.
He said some communities where the explosions reportedly occurred have since dismissed the report.
“For the avoidance of doubt, Governor Siminalayi Fubara has no link to any militant group, does not contemplate any such association, and has no reason to encourage any criminal group or elements, anywhere in the state or Niger Delta, to undertake any action inimical to the peace of the people or safety and security of oil and gas facilities, and by extension, the economy of the country,” the statement read in part.
Fubara’s warning
Mr Fubara, according to the statement, has warned “purveyors of violence and economic sabotage” to stop any attempt to use his name or capitalise on the present political crisis in Rivers State to foment trouble.
“It is also important to warn bloggers and social media hirelings to stop, forthwith, their campaign to create an atmosphere of tension, chaos and anarchy in the state, as their fake reports and posts in the last couple of days have triggered enough wrong decisions that would not help the state move forward,” he stated.
READ ALSO: Imagining Rivers State without a state of emergency, By Bayo Onanuga
The governor urged security agencies to take note of “fake videos” on social media designed to misinform the people and paint the state in bad light.
He enjoined the security operatives to track down those behind the “fake video clips” intended to cause chaos in the South-southern state.
