Nigeria Imposes State of Emergency in Rivers State Over Surge in Pipeline Vandalism

On Tuesday, Nigerian President Bola Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers State due to increasing incidents of pipeline vandalism. The president also announced the suspension of the state governor, his deputy, and all members of the state legislature.
In a televised address, President Tinubu explained that over the past two days, he had received security reports detailing significant acts of pipeline vandalism carried out by militants, with no intervention from the state governor to address the situation. He stated that a responsible leader could not allow such a serious situation to continue without taking corrective actions as outlined in the constitution.
Earlier, authorities had begun an investigation into an explosion on the Trans Niger Pipeline, which ignited a fire. This pipeline is a vital route for transporting crude oil from onshore oilfields to the Bonny export terminal. Rivers State, located in the Niger Delta, is a key source of Nigeria’s crude oil, and in the past, militants have sabotaged pipelines, disrupting oil production and exports.
Rivers State has also been embroiled in political conflict, with factions of the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in disagreement, and state lawmakers threatening to impeach the governor and his deputy.
The state of emergency empowers the federal government to impose regulations and facilitate the deployment of security forces to restore order if necessary. President Tinubu appointed a retired vice admiral as a caretaker to oversee the administration of Rivers State for an initial period of six months.
The president also informed the National Assembly of his decision, which has the authority to either approve or reject the declaration. However, Tinubu clarified that the state’s judiciary would remain unaffected and continue to function in accordance with its constitutional duties.