President Tinubu summons Ex-Rivers Administrator, EFCC chairman to Aso Villa over Emergency rule spending
President Tinubu summons Ex-Rivers Administrator, EFCC chairman to Aso Villa over Emergency rule spending
President Bola Tinubu has summoned Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd.), the former sole administrator of Rivers State, to the Presidential Villa amid growing scrutiny over the state’s finances during the recent six-month emergency rule.
Ibas arrived at Aso Villa around 5:50 p.m., dressed in brown traditional attire. He was soon joined by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, and the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukayede.
Notably, Edun had earlier entered the villa alone but left briefly, only to return carrying a file—an indication of the gravity of the discussions underway.
Ibas served as the sole administrator of oil-rich Rivers State from March to mid-September 2025, following the declaration of emergency rule by President Tinubu. His tenure ended on September 17, after the President reinstated Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, and members of the state House of Assembly, effective the previous Thursday.
The Rivers State House of Assembly, chaired by Speaker Martin Amaewhule, had, during its first plenary session after the end of emergency rule, stated that it would investigate the state’s expenditure during the six months of emergency rule.
According to the resolutions of the House, “To explore the process of knowing what transpired during the emergency rule with regard to spending from the consolidated revenue fund for the award of contracts and other expenditure.”
Ibas had rejected the decision to probe the state’s expenditure over the last few months under him.
It was gathered that Rivers State received at least N254.37 billion from the Federation Account Allocation Committee between March and August 2025, under the tenure of the former sole administrator.
