- Group alerts on alleged oil leakage in Okirika, demands investigation
.CISLAC faults NASS for approving emergency rule without due process.
.As SERAP sues Tinubu over Fubara, deputy, lawmakers’ suspension
From Cyril Mbah Abuja. And Emmanuel Nlewedum, Port Harcourt
Rivers State, on Sunday recorded a fresh explosion on an oil facility in Soku, in Akuku Toru local government area of the state.
The latest explosion was the third to be recorded in the state in less than a week after the blast at the Trans Niger Pipeline in Bodo, Gokana and Oga/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Areas of the state.
A community source, identified as Mr George, who confirmed the incident to our Correspondent said the cause of the explosion was yet to be identified.
He said, “Yes, we witnessed an explosiion here, but the place the incident happened is far from the community. So, all we can see is just the flare of the fire.”
Earlier, a rights and advocacy group with a strong presence in the Niger Delta, the Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre (YEAC-Nigeria), had confirmed the explosion in a statement on Sunday.
YEAC-Nigeria in the statement by its Executive Director, Dr. Fyneface Dumnamene Fyneface, disclosed that its youth volunteers in the area, had alerted the organization about the early morning blast at the Soku oil facility, reportedly operated by Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) Limited.
“The Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre (YEAC-Nigeria), a grassroot non-government organisation (NGO) with stronger presence in communities across the Niger Delta through its One Million Youth Volunteers Network of Human Rights Defenders and Promoters in the Niger Delta and its Crude Oil Spill Alert System (COSAS) Network in the region can now confirm the information that it earlier received in the early hours of Sunday, March 23, 2025 of an alleged explosion at the Soku oil facility in Akuku Toru Local Government Area of Rivers State said to be operated by the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) Limited.”
He said, the explosion, accompanied by fireballs which was heard and seen rising from the facility, which according to him remains difficult to access, and the exact cause of the explosion is still unknown.
“The fire is still ongoing as of the time of this report,” the statement noted.
Fyneface however, in the statement, demanded swift action to address the escalating tension caused by the recent explosions in the region and called on the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) to immediately conduct a Joint Investigation Visit (JIV) to determine the cause of the explosion at Soku and ensure accountability.
“Advocacy Centre calls for investigation into the latest incident alleged in Soku and calls on the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) to carry out a joint investigation visit (JIV) to the area with a view of determining the cause of the incident and holding perpetrators to account in line with the provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), 2021.
“Perpetrators of this crime must be held accountable in line with the provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), 2021,”
Recall that Tuesday night, President Bola Tinubu in a nationwide broadcast, declared a state of emergency in Rivers State, suspended the state governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, Professor Ngozi Odu and members of the Rivers State House of Assembly and appointed Vice Admiral Ibokette Ibas (Rtd.) following the explosion at the Trans Niger Pipeline in Bodo, Gokana LGA on Monday night, and a blast at a manifold in Oga/Egbema/Ndoni LGA on Tuesday morning.
The President blamed Governor Fubara for not doing enough to mitigate the attacks on oil infrastructure after some youths threatened in a viral video to attack oil installations if impeachment is attempted on him by the Martin Amaehwule-led State House of Assembly.
Meanwhile, the Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre (YEAC-Nigeria) has alerted the public of a fresh oil leakage allegedly in Okirika local government area of Rivers State.
However, An Abuja based non-governmental organisation known as the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) has criticised the National Assembly for not rejecting the State of Emergency imposed on Rivers State, warning that the ill-motivated actions were not only unconstitutional but are politically driven and amounts to abuse of executive power.
In a statement signed by its Executive Director, Dr. Auwal Ibrahim Musa (Rafsanjani), CISLAC accused President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of openly taking sides in the political crisis in Rivers State.
The group alleged that instead of maintaining neutrality, the President has consistently aligned with former governor and current Federal Capital Territory, (FCT) Minister Nyesom Wike, saying that this has enabled him to wield undue influence over the state’s governance.
“The President’s actions have emboldened political godfatherism and undermined democratic governance, allowing a single individual who is no longer in state government to cripple governance in Rivers,” Rafsanjani stated.
CISLAC argued that a State of Emergency can only be declared under Sections 305 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) in cases of widespread insecurity, a breakdown of law and order, or a failure of government institutions—and none of which applies to the current situation in Rivers State.
“Schools, hospitals, markets, and government institutions continue to function normally. There has been no outbreak of violence, nor has the governor requested such an extreme measure,” the statement said.
CISLAC warned that the move appeared to be an attempt to unseat a duly elected governor under the guise of restoring order. It accused the President of failing to call Wike to order while attempting to undermine a democratically elected government, describing it as a dangerous precedent.
“Today, it is Rivers State; tomorrow, it could be any other state where the President’s allies seek to impose their will,” CISLAC cautioned.
CISLAC called on the National Assembly to reject such proposals, urging lawmakers to defend democratic values rather than succumb to political pressure and it urged them to prioritize national stability over partisan interests stating that two-thirds majority is required to approve a State of Emergency in any state.
The group also expressed concern over reports of similar plans being hatched for Kano and Osun states, and while warning that such actions could further destabilize the country, CISLAC argued that the government’s approach has already triggered protests in Rivers and could damage Nigeria’s international reputation, potentially leading to sanctions from the global community.
CISLAC urged Nigerians to remain peaceful and resolute in resisting what it described as an undemocratic move and also called on the Nigerian Governors’ Forum to oppose any effort to undermine constitutional governance.
CISLAC further reminded President Tinubu of his responsibility to all Nigerians, cautioning that any attempt to suppress democracy would be met with resistance from civil society and the public.
“Nigeria’s democracy is at stake, and history will judge those who choose personal ambition over the will of the people,” the statement cautioned.
.As SERAP sues Tinubu over Fubara, deputy, lawmakers’ suspension
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project has taken President Bola Tinubu to court over what it calls the “unlawful suspension” of the Rivers State Governor, his deputy, and House of Assembly members.
The six-month suspension was announced while the president proclaimed a state of emergency in the state.
SERAP argued that the decision violates constitutional provisions and undermines democratic governance.
The lawsuit, filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday, was initiated by three members of SERAP’s Volunteers’ Lawyers Network (SVLN) in Rivers State—Yirabari Israel Nulog, Nengim Ikpoemugh Royal, and Gracious Eyoh-Sifumbukho.
The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), and Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd.) have also been joined as defendants.
The suit, numbered FHC/ABJ/CS/558/2025, demands “an order setting aside the suspension of the democratically elected officials in Rivers State by President Tinubu while proclaiming a state of emergency in the state” and “an order setting aside the appointment of Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd.) as the Sole Administrator of Rivers State.”
SERAP, in a statement by its Deputy Director Kolawole Oluwadare on Sunday, argued that “the rule of law would be a mere figure of speech if the people’s right to participation can be arbitrarily suspended or violated.”
“Democracy is an inherent element of the rule of law. Nigeria’s democracy ought to have as its foundation respect for human rights and the rule of law,” the statement read.
SERAP insists that the suspension contradicts both the Nigerian Constitution and international legal obligations, citing the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the African Charter on Democracy, Elections, and Governance.
“The combined provisions of Sections 1(2), 14(1)(c), 176(1)(2), and 305(1) of the Nigerian Constitution create a delicate balance of rights and responsibilities, ensuring that the exercise of presidential power does not override the people’s right to participate in their own governance,” the organisation asserted.
It further argued that Section 305, which grants the president powers to declare a state of emergency, “is neither absolute nor superior to other provisions of the Constitution,” stressing that such power must be exercised in a way that upholds democratic participation.
“The suspension of the democratically elected officials in Rivers State has seriously undermined the ability of the plaintiffs to participate more effectively in their own government, the credibility and integrity of the country’s electoral process, and the notion of the rule of law,” SERAP stated.
Among other reliefs sought, the plaintiffs are asking the court for a declaration that Tinubu’s actions are “unlawful, unconstitutional, null, and void” and an injunction restraining the appointed sole administrator from acting in that capacity.
“No date has been fixed for the hearing of the suit,” the statement concluded.
