The court refused the lawsuit demanding a refund from Rivers’s money spent by Ibas

Judge James Omotosho from the Federal High Court, Abuja, on Thursday, refused a lawsuit that demanded a refund in the consolidated income fund that was released, adjusted and spent by the single administrator of the State of Rivers, Deputy Admiral Ibok-Eet IBA (RTD).

The judge delivered a rill in a lawsuit marked by FHC/PH/CS/43/2025, submitted by the Incorporated Trustees of Rivsbridge Peace Initiative.

The group has asked about Ibas’s appointment as the administrator of the State Rivers by the President of Bola Tinubu.

President Tinubu, Attorney General Federation, Accountant General Federation (AG-F), Central Bank Nigeria (CBN) and IBA are registered as respondents in the lawsuit.

Judge Omotosho, in the decision, argued that the court did not have jurisdiction to determine the subject matter, after coming from the proclamation of the emergency state president.

He upheld the objections submitted by the lawyer to the defendants, including the State of Ogunwumiju (SAN), who represented IBA in this case.

The judge stated that only the Supreme Court had an exclusive and original jokisdiction to determine the validity of the emergency rules by the President.

He said: “I can’t fail to say that the legal advisor to the prosecutor must conduct the right research on the case before submitting the same thing.

“He must conduct a diligent research on which courts have jurisdiction and parties needed in the lawsuit before submitting their actions.

Also read: Tinubu Calls Former Administror Rivers, Ibas

“Advisors have the task of becoming professional in making such research rather than spending time to spread wrong information or paint the wrong picture on social media and other broadcast media.

“This court is burdened with many cases, including commercial, civil and criminal problems that make the time very valuable.

“Submitting a lawsuit that canceled Abinitio is an unimportant thing for justice and the court can soap that a lawsuit that does not apply to save time.

“Therefore, I am of the opinion that the void process cannot activate this court jurisdiction.

“In the final analysis, the subject of this lawsuit is outside the jurisdiction of this court and this court will reject more jurisdiction than the same.”

The judge also refused to transfer the case to the Port Harcourt judicial division as part of the reliefs sought by the plaintiff.