The Chief Judge of Rivers State, Justice Simeon Amadi, has declined a request by the Rivers State House of Assembly to constitute a judicial panel to investigate Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, Ngozi Odu, citing existing court orders.
In a letter dated January 20 and addressed to the Speaker of the House, Martins Amaewhule, Justice Amadi said he was restrained by two court orders from receiving, forwarding or acting on any request to set up such a panel.
He stated that the orders were served on his office on January 16, 2026, and remain in force.
The chief judge stressed that the principles of constitutionalism and the rule of law require strict compliance with subsisting court orders, regardless of personal views about their validity.
He also referenced legal precedent, noting that in a similar case in 2007, the Chief Judge of Kwara State was criticised for ignoring a restraining order when setting up an investigative panel, a decision later nullified by the Court of Appeal.
Justice Amadi further noted that the Speaker has already filed an appeal against the court orders at the Court of Appeal, adding to the ongoing legal processes surrounding the allegations against the governor.
Keywords: Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara, Rivers Assembly, judicial panel, rule of law
