Ethnic youth leaders across Nigeria have called on the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, to issue an unreserved apology to Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara over what they described as false allegations linking him to recent bombings in the state.

In a statement signed by the group?s national coordinator, Comrade Meliga Godwin, the youth leaders criticised Fagbemi for allegedly shielding the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, from blame despite his public remarks on acts of vandalism in the state.

?We call on the Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, to immediately apologize to Governor Siminalayi Fubara for falsely accusing him of being behind the bombings while shielding Wike from any blame,? the statement read.

The youth leaders expressed concern over what they described as a biased position taken by the AGF, who had accused Governor Fubara of ?tele-guiding militants? to attack oil pipelines in the state.

?It is quite unfortunate that the Chief Law Officer of the country would take such a biased position, alleging that the Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, tele-guided militants to blow up pipelines in the state,? they stated.

They also quoted Fagbemi?s remarks: ?We are in a democracy. There were what I will call telegraphing of the militants, I will say, by the governor. And the reason I say so is, when he began, he said oh, he will let them know when it was time to act. Let us say it was false. Did he come out to disown them? The answer is no. And a week later, they swung into action. You saw or witnessed the vandalisation of oil pipelines.?

The youth leaders, however, insisted that Wike, more than the governor, should be held accountable. They referenced a viral video in which Wike allegedly made inflammatory remarks regarding acts of sabotage in the state.

?It was well circulated on electronic and social media that the explosions experienced in Gokana and Onelga had earlier been predicted by Chief Barr. Wike during his media chat,? the statement noted.

They further quoted Wike as saying: ?What nonsense is that? Who told you Ogoni people cannot break pipelines? Who told you Ikwerre people cannot blow up pipelines? Who told you Ekpeye people cannot blow up pipelines??

According to the youth leaders, such remarks were deliberately designed to create tension and justify a perceived state of anarchy, potentially paving the way for the federal government to declare a state of emergency in Rivers State.

?For Mr. President to single out Gov. Sim Fubara and the Honourable members of the Rivers State House Assembly for suspension, without taking any disciplinary action against his Minister, Chief Nyesom Wike, for gross public misconduct, is a clear miscarriage of justice and is condemnable,? the statement added.

The youth leaders further accused the AGF of failing in his duty to provide unbiased legal counsel to the president, instead choosing to protect Wike while wrongly implicating Fubara.

?It is more unfortunate that the Attorney General, who should have advised the President on the illegality of the whole imbroglio, is here defending the big elephant in the room while falsely accusing the governor, simply because they want to give a dog a bad name to hang it. But that must not be allowed! He must apologize,? they declared. (The Guardian)

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