WATCH THE VIDEO HERE THE Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Lateef Fagbemi, has stated that the Federal Government would be justified in releasing the withheld monthly allocations to the newly appointed Sole Administrator of Rivers State, Vice Admiral Ibok-ete Ibas (rtd). Speaking to State House correspondents at the Villa yesterday, the Minister of Justice explained that the unique circumstances in the oil-rich state could warrant overriding the initial decision to withhold the funds. “An extraordinary situation has emerged in Rivers State. When the administrator assumes office, he may request these funds, and in my view, approving their release would be appropriate because the prevailing circumstances have disrupted the usual order of things,” Fagbemi said. The Supreme Court, in a ruling on February 28, 2025, had barred the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the Accountant General of the Federation, and other agencies from disbursing funds to the then-governor, Siminalayi Fubara, until his administration complied with court directives. However, on March 18, 2025, President Bola Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers State, suspending Fubara, his deputy Ngozi Odu, and the State House of Assembly members for six months. Citing Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution, Tinubu stated that he could not allow the political crisis in Rivers to escalate unchecked. The suspension of the elected officials has drawn widespread criticism from prominent Nigerians, legal experts, and political groups, including Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, Rotimi Amaechi, Femi Falana, the Labour Party (LP), the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the Nigerian Bar Association, and the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF). Conversely, pro-Nyesom Wike lawmakers, who were previously suspended, have welcomed the emergency rule, accusing Fubara of defying the Supreme Court’s ruling on the state’s political crisis.
RIVERS: Releasing blocked allocations to Administrator is justified – Fagbemi
