The Rivers State government has disclosed that over N302 billion was spent by the administration of Ibok-Ete Ibas during his tenure as sole administrator, spanning from March to August 2025. This significant revelation was made by the Rivers State accountant-general and the ministry of budget and economic planning at the High Court of Rivers State in Port Harcourt. The disclosure came in response to a Freedom of Information (FOI) lawsuit filed by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), seeking transparency and accountability regarding public funds.

The lawsuit, identified as PHC/4153/CS/2025, is currently pending before Justice S.H. Aprioku of the Rivers State High Court. In a counter-affidavit dated March 10, 2026, the state government confirmed it received N253.48 billion from the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) between March and August 2025. Including other revenues, the total funds received during this period amounted to approximately N298.35 billion. The total recorded spending, however, exceeded N302.35 billion.

The government's affidavit and accompanying documents, marked as Exhibit DTI (bank statements) and Exhibit DT2 (capital expenditure pages of the Government House estimate), comprise 49 pages. These exhibits were provided in compliance with the Freedom of Information Act, with the defendants affirming they do not contest SERAP’s right to access such information. The state government stated it had substantially complied with SERAP's demand by furnishing the requested documents.

A detailed breakdown of the expenditure from the records revealed significant allocations across various sectors. Approximately N112.41 billion was spent on salaries, pensions, and overheads. Ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) were allocated N163.44 billion, with more than N106 billion of this amount disbursed in August alone, indicating a concentrated spending pattern. Further financial records showed N26.01 billion was used for servicing loans, and about N491.59 million was incurred as bank charges during the period.

Specific projects also featured prominently in the spending details. An amount of N28 billion was approved for the installation of Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) at the State House, though no actual expenditure was incurred for this project. Records indicated multiple transfers to Government House, ranging from N1.8 million to N4.27 billion, including several payments of N61.9 million, N122 million, N170 million, N389 million, N750 million, N850 million, and repeated N900 million transactions. A single transfer of N4.27 billion was recorded in August 2025. Additionally, over N2.5 billion was released for the construction of Government House quarters, with roughly N1.1 billion reflected as actual spending. A revised allocation of N2.67 billion for office building repairs saw about N404 million spent, while N350 million was allocated for canteen and kitchen equipment. Over N463 million was spent on rehabilitation projects, including one project initially budgeted at N800 million that was subsequently increased to N1.56 billion. The closing balance in the account as of August 2025 stood at N19.93 billion.

Kolawole Oluwadare, deputy director of SERAP, confirmed that the organization is meticulously reviewing the extensive documents detailing the expenditure. SERAP’s teams are conducting a project-by-project analysis to ascertain full compliance with their information requests and to determine whether further actions, such as a fresh request or an amendment to their originating processes, will be necessary. The lawsuit seeks a judicial determination on SERAP’s entitlement to access this information under the Nigerian Constitution and the Freedom of Information Act.

The spending under scrutiny occurred during a six-month emergency rule imposed on Rivers State by President Bola Tinubu on March 18, 2025, due to a protracted political crisis. During this period, Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, and all members of the Rivers assembly were suspended, and Ibok-Ete Ibas, a retired naval chief, was appointed as the state’s sole administrator. The emergency rule concluded on September 17, 2025. Although the Rivers assembly subsequently resolved to investigate the state’s finances during the emergency rule, Ibas reportedly rejected their resolution. The court case has been adjourned to May 19, 2026, for further hearing.