Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court Abuja, Nigeria has issued a ruling preventing the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) from releasing monthly financial allocations to the Rivers State Government.
The judge determined that the disbursement of funds by Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara since January 2024 constituted a breach of the Constitution and represented an aberration that must not continue.
In her ruling, Justice Abdulmalik stated that Fubara’s presentation of the 2024 budget before a four-member Rivers House of Assembly violated constitutional provisions. She emphasized that the governor’s actions were a gross infringement of the 1999 Constitution.
The court subsequently restrained the CBN, the Accountant General of the Federation, and banks including Zenith Bank and Access Bank from allowing Fubara to access funds from the Consolidated Revenue and Federation Account, highlighting the serious nature of the violations involved.
