March 12, 2025
By Idris Buba
The coast is now clear to investigate past governors of Rivers state and if found wanting in the management of the state resources charged to court, this followed the dismissal of the appeal filed by Rivers State to block the EFCC’s probe into former Governor Peter Odili’s tenure as governor of the state.
With the dismissal, the court has cleared the way for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to investigate the finances of the Rivers State from 2007 till date.
Peter Odili, had in 2007, secured a perpetual injunction from a Federal High Court in Port-Harcourt, preventing the EFCC from investigating or arresting him, the order also prohibited the anti-graft agency from probing the finances of the state.
The perpetual injunction had over the years protected other former governors of the state like Chibuike Amaechi and the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike against investigation and arrest as it also covers their tenures.
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But the Supreme Court on Monday March 10, 2025, rejected two appeals by the attorney general of Rivers State and the speaker of the state House of Assembly on the matter.
The appeals had sought to overturn the leave granted to the EFCC to contest an order that barred the investigation of Peter Odili’s tenure as governor.
The anti graft agency, had requested the Court of Appeal for permission to appeal the federal high court’s decision after the deadline had passed.
The appellate court granted this request, prompting the attorney general and the speaker of Rivers State to appeal to the Supreme Court.
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On Monday, the appeal filed by the attorney general of Rivers State, marked SC/CV/318/2018, was called and when Justice John Okoro, presiding over a five-member panel, inquired about the substance of the case,
the appellant’s lawyer, S. A. Somiari, SAN, explained that it was an interlocutory appeal against the leave granted by the Court of Appeal for the EFCC to appeal the 2007 orders issued by the Federal High Court.
Justice Okoro, on hearing the subject matter, stopped Somiari midway and said the appeal would not be entertained by the supreme court.
Consequently, the appellant’s counsel did proceed further.
With this development, the EFCC may now open the financial books of Rivers State from 2007 till date.
