Rivers Chief Judge blocks probe of Fubara, cites court injunctions, rule of law

The Chief Judge of Rivers State, Justice Chibuzor Simeon Amadi, has declined a request to constitute a seven-member committee to investigate allegations of misconduct against Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, Prof. Ngozi Ordu, citing subsisting court injunctions that bar such action.

In a letter dated January 20, 2026, and addressed to the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Mr Martins Amaewhule, Justice Amadi said his hands were tied by two existing court orders restraining him from entertaining or acting on any request to set up an investigative panel on the matter.

According to the Chief Judge, the injunctions were served on his office on January 16, 2026, and remain valid and binding until set aside by a court of competent jurisdiction.

Justice Amadi stressed that strict adherence to the rule of law requires all public officials, irrespective of status, to obey lawful court orders, even when there are differing opinions about their propriety or merit.

“The obligation to respect court orders is fundamental to constitutional governance,” he noted, adding that disregarding subsisting judicial directives would amount to a breach of judicial ethics and constitutional responsibility.

To underscore his position, the Rivers Chief Judge cited a precedent from 2007, when a Chief Judge in Kwara State was criticised for proceeding to constitute an investigative panel in defiance of a restraining court order.

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That action, he recalled, was later nullified by the Court of Appeal, reinforcing the principle that court orders must be obeyed until overturned.

Justice Amadi further pointed out that the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly has already approached the Court of Appeal to challenge the validity of the current injunctions, a development he said further complicates the legal environment surrounding the alleged misconduct.

He explained that taking any step to constitute a panel while the matter is actively before an appellate court would not only be improper but could also prejudice ongoing judicial proceedings.

The development adds another layer to the escalating political and legal tensions in Rivers State, as the impeachment-related allegations against the governor and his deputy continue to generate controversy.

For now, the Chief Judge’s decision effectively stalls any legislative move to probe the executive leadership of the state, pending the resolution of the legal challenges at the appellate level.