The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has begun a detailed review of over ₦302 billion reportedly spent by the Rivers State Government during the six-month emergency rule under Ibok-Ete Ibas.
The disclosure emerged in a counter-affidavit filed before the Rivers State High Court in response to a Freedom of Information (FOI) lawsuit instituted by SERAP.
According to the affidavit submitted by the Accountant-General and the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, Rivers State received over ₦253.48 billion from the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) between March and August 2025. Additional receipts of about ₦44.87 billion brought total inflows to roughly ₦298.35 billion.
However, total spending within the same period rose to over ₦302.35 billion, based on bank statements and budget documents presented as exhibits before Justice S.H. Aprioku.
The filings show that over ₦112.41 billion was spent on salaries, pensions and overheads, while ₦163.44 billion was allocated to ministries, departments and agencies. Notably, more than ₦106 billion of this amount was disbursed in August alone, indicating a sharp spike in spending within a single month.
The documents also revealed multiple transfers to Government House, ranging from ₦1.8 million to as high as ₦4.27 billion. Several repeated payments of ₦900 million were recorded, alongside other transactions of ₦61.9 million, ₦122 million, ₦170 million, ₦389 million, ₦750 million and ₦850 million.
Loan servicing and bank charges accounted for about ₦26.5 billion, while capital projects showed mixed levels of execution. Although ₦28 billion was approved for CCTV installation at the State House, the government stated that no funds were spent on the project.
Similarly, over ₦2.5 billion was approved for Government House quarters, but only about ₦1.1 billion was reflected as actual expenditure. Office building repairs saw a revised allocation of ₦2.67 billion, with about ₦404 million spent.
SERAP’s deputy director, Kolawole Oluwadare, said the organisation is analysing the documents project by project to determine compliance with its request. He added that further legal steps may follow if gaps are identified.
The group is asking the court to determine whether it is entitled to access the full spending details under Nigeria’s Freedom of Information Act and constitutional provisions on transparency and accountability.
The case has been adjourned to May 19, 2026 for further hearing.
