The Rivers State Accountant-General and the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning have provided the High Court of Rivers State in Port Harcourt with details of how the government of former Rivers sole administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (Rtd), allegedly spent over ₦302 billion within six months. The funds, received from the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) and other sources, were disbursed between March and August 2025.
The disclosure came in response to a Freedom of Information lawsuit (PHC/4153/CS/2025) filed by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, which seeks transparency and accountability for the six-month emergency administration in Rivers State. The case is pending before Hon. Justice S.H. Aprioku of the Rivers State High Court.
In a counter-affidavit dated March 10, 2026, the Accountant-General and the Ministry stated that Rivers State received FAAC allocations totaling ₦253.48 billion (₦253,480,052,907.33) between March and August 2025. When combined with other receipts of over ₦44.87 billion (₦44,868,976,368.32), total funds received amounted to approximately ₦298.35 billion (₦298,349,029,275.65).
Supporting documents, including Exhibit DTI (bank statements) and Exhibit DT2 (capital pages of the Government House estimate), provide details of expenditures exceeding ₦302 billion. These include transfers to government entities, payments to individuals, and repeated transfers to Government House, with notable transactions ranging from ₦1.8 million to ₦4.27 billion. A single ₦4.27 billion transfer occurred in August alone.
Expenditure breakdowns show that over ₦112.41 billion (₦112,408,021,641.07) was spent on salaries, pensions, and overheads, while ₦163.44 billion (₦163,441,654,922.70) was allocated to ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs). Over ₦106 billion of this MDA allocation was disbursed in August, highlighting a concentration of spending within a single month.
Other notable expenditures include ₦26.01 billion for loan servicing, ₦491.59 million on bank charges, ₦2.5 billion allocated for Government House quarters (with about ₦1.1 billion spent), and over ₦463 million on rehabilitation projects. Some allocations, such as office building repairs, were revised during the period. The closing account balance in August 2025 was ₦19,929,707,462.66.
SERAP deputy director Kolawole Oluwadare stated that the organization is analysing the spending project-by-project to determine whether the information provided fully complies with their request.
The lawsuit seeks to affirm SERAP’s right to access public financial information under the Nigerian Constitution and the Freedom of Information Act, 2011. The case has been adjourned to May 19, 2026, for further hearing.
