Court Reacts to Alleged Judgment Removing Rivers Sole Administrator

The Rivers State Judiciary has denied claims that any of its judges, including Justice Boma Diepiri, issued a ruling ordering the removal of the state’s Sole Administrator, retired Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, or reinstating suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara.

The rebuttal was made by the Chief Registrar of the Rivers State High Court, David Ihua Maduenyi, on Wednesday.

The state has been embroiled in crisis since the fallout between Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, with the temporary and contentious appointment of a sole administrator by President Bola Tinubu doing little to ease the mounting tension.

The judiciary has described the online report making such claims as “entirely false” and “misleading.” The report, widely circulated on social media, had alleged that Justice Diepiri delivered a judgment at the Federal High Court declaring the appointment of a sole administrator unconstitutional and ordering Ibas to vacate office.

“The attention of the Rivers State Judiciary has been drawn to a fake news report alleging that His Lordship, Hon. Justice Boma Diepiri, delivered a judgment sacking the Sole Administrator of Rivers State. This is false in its entirety,” the statement read.

The court said Justice Diepiri is a judge of the High Court of Rivers State, not of the Federal High Court as the report falsely suggests. Additionally, His Lordship is currently on Easter vacation which began on Monday, April 14, 2025, Ihua-Maduenyi stated.

The Chief Registrar noted that the Federal High Court and the State High Court are separate entities, adding that “the inclusion of Justice Diepiri’s name in the fabricated report underscores the crass ignorance of the author.”

He also dismissed any suggestion that the Rivers State High Court had issued a ruling on the legality of the ongoing emergency rule or the status of the Sole Administrator.