LAWYERS slammed Nigeria’s leader after he declared an emergency in oil-rich Rivers state and suspended its governor and lawmakers on Tuesday.

The announcement by President Bola Tinubu follows a spate of  vandalism to pipelines that contribute to the country’s status as Africa’s top oil producer.

A crisis in Rivers has brewed for months between incumbent Governor Siminalayi Fubara and state lawmakers, many of whom are backed by his predecessor. 

President Bola Tinubu said in a state broadcast he was suspending the governor and other elected officials, including the state lawmakers, for six months.

The Nigerian president criticised the governor for not “taking any action to curtail” fresh incidents of pipeline vandalism reported in the last 24 hours, including a blast that resulted in a fire on the Trans Niger Pipeline.

President Tinubu said: “With all these and many more, no good and responsible president will stand by and allow the grave situation to continue without taking remedial steps prescribed by the constitution to address the situation in the state.”

The president said the country’s retired former navy chief Vice-Admiral Ibokette Ibas will become the military administrator of Rivers state.

The Nigerian Bar Association labelled the suspensions illegal. 

Its president Afam Osigwe said: “A declaration of emergency does not automatically dissolve or suspend elected state governments.”