The Rivers State Judiciary has drawn a sharp line between its judges and a swirling online controversy involving the “suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara, the Sole Administrator, retired Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, and others.”
Through a statement signed by Chief Registrar David Ihua Maduenyi, the judiciary took aim at a viral report claiming that “suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara secured a court victory over President Bola Tinubu and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike at the Federal High Court.”
That story didn’t stop there. It also claimed “the court has ordered the sole administrator to vacate the Government House.”
According to the judiciary, these claims are not just inaccurate they are fabricated.
The statement flatly denied that “Justice Diepriye presided over the case and ruled that the appointment of a sole administrator to oversee the affairs of a state, following the removal of a democratically elected governor, was illegal, null, and void.”
Setting the record straight, Ihua-Maduenyi explained that Justice Diepiri is “not a judge of the Federal High Court but of the Rivers State High Court and is currently on Easter vacation, which commenced on Monday, April 14, 2025.”
He called out the false inclusion of her name as a sign of “crass ignorance” on the part of the reporter, stressing the difference between the Federal High Court and State High Court.
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No judge from the Rivers State High Court, he clarified, has issued “any orders relating to the emergency rule in the state.”
The Registrar didn’t mince words in condemning the trend of “bloggers and online reporters sacrificing professionalism for traffic and financial gain.”
He encouraged the public to verify facts directly from court officials instead of spreading misinformation.
“Seek proper clarification from the court or its officials before publishing or sharing court-related information,” he advised.