Ex-Rivers caretaker boss Ibas' ₦302 billion expenditure in half a year exposed by Freedom of Information document

The Rivers State government has disclosed to the High Court of Rivers State in Port Harcourt that it spent over ₦302 billion in funds received from the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) allocations and other sources between March and August 2025, during the tenure of former Rivers sole administrator Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (Rtd).

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The revelation came in response to a Freedom of Information lawsuit, suit number PHC/4153/CS/2025, filed by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) on 31st October 2025, seeking transparency and accountability regarding the six-month emergency rule in Rivers State.

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The lawsuit is currently pending before Hon. Justice S.H. Aprioku of the River State High Court, Port Harcourt, and has been adjourned to 19th May, 2026 for further hearing.

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In a counter-affidavit dated 10 March 2026, the Accountant-General and the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning stated that the FAAC allocations received by Rivers state between March and August 2025 totaled over ₦253 billion (₦253,480,052,907.33).

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Exhibits filed in support of the counter-affidavit, including bank statements and capital pages of the Government House estimate, comprising 49 pages, provide details of government expenditures exceeding ₦300 billion, including FAAC allocations and other funds.

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The counter-affidavit noted that ₦28 billion was approved for the installation of Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) at the State House, but no expenditure was incurred for the project, and therefore, no document evidencing such expenditure can be provided.

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The Defendants/Respondents acknowledged SERAP's right to access information under the Freedom of Information Act and expressed their intention to provide the requested documents, which have now been compiled and made available as Exhibit DTI (bank statements) and Exhibit DT2 (capital pages of the Government House estimate).

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By furnishing the requested documents, the Defendants/Respondents claimed to have substantially complied with SERAP's demand, while also recognizing the public interest in transparency and accountability.

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SERAP deputy director Kolawole Oluwadare stated that the organization is currently studying the large documents on the spending of over ₦302 billion of FAAC allocations and other funds by the Rivers State government between March and August 2025.

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SERAP's teams are analyzing the spending project-by-project to determine whether their requests for information have been fully complied with or if a fresh request for information or an amendment to their originating processes is necessary.

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Preliminary assessment of the two exhibits shows that Rivers State received FAAC inflows of over ₦253.48 billion and other receipts totaling over ₦44.87 billion from March to August 2025, bringing the total funds received to approximately ₦298.35 billion.

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The exhibits also reveal transfers to government entities, payments to individuals, and repeated transfers to Government House during the period, with over ₦302.35 billion shown to have been spent.

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Multiple payments to Government House were recorded, ranging from ₦1.8 million to ₦4.27 billion, including transactions of ₦61.9 million, ₦122 million, ₦170 million, ₦389 million, ₦750 million, ₦850 million, and ₦900 million, with the ₦900 million payments occurring repeatedly.

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A significant portion of the funds, over ₦112.41 billion, was reportedly spent on salaries, pensions, and overheads, while over ₦163.44 billion was allocated to ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs).

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Notably, over ₦106 billion of the ₦163.44 billion allocated to MDAs was disbursed in August alone, indicating a significant concentration of spending within a single month.

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Additionally, over ₦26.01 billion was spent to service loans, and over ₦491.59 million was spent on bank charges, totaling approximately ₦26.50 billion during the same period.

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Over ₦2.5 billion was released for the construction of Government House quarters, but only about ₦1.1 billion is reflected in the exhibits as actual spending, while a revised allocation of ₦2.67 billion was made for office building repairs, with about ₦404 million spent.

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Furthermore, ₦350 million was allocated for canteen and kitchen equipment, although it is unclear how much was released for the project, and over ₦463 million was spent on rehabilitation projects.

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A project initially budgeted at ₦800 million appeared to be increased to ₦1.56 billion, and the closing balance in the account as at August 2025 was ₦19,929,707,462.66.

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SERAP is seeking the determination of whether, having regard to the combined provisions of the Nigerian Constitution 1999 and the Freedom of Information Act, 2011, the organization is entitled to access and obtain the information sought from the Defendants/Respondents.