The Chief Judge of Rivers State, Justice Chibuzor Simeon Amadi, has declined to constitute a seven-member panel to investigate allegations of gross misconduct against Governor Sim Fubara and his Deputy, Ngozi Ordu.
In a letter dated 20th January, 2026, addressed to the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Hon. Martins Amaewhule, Justice Amadi cited two court orders barring him from “receiving, forwarding, or considering any requests to form such a panel”.
The orders were served on his office on 16th January, 2026 and still in force.
The Chief Judge emphasized that constitutionalism and the rule of law require all authorities to obey subsisting court orders, irrespective of their perception of the orders’ validity.
He referenced legal precedents, noting that in a similar case in 2007, the Chief Judge of Kwara State was condemned for ignoring a restraining court order when setting up an investigative panel, a decision later voided by the Court of Appeal.
Justice Amadi further observed that the Speaker has already filed an appeal against the court orders at the Court of Appeal, and so added another layer to the on-going legal proceedings surrounding the allegations.
