Court Of Appeal Overrules Seizure Of Rivers State Allocations, Faults Federal High Court’s Jurisdiction

The Appellate Court’s ruling on Friday found that the lower court lacked the necessary jurisdiction to hear the case and issue the orders contained in the judgment.

The case in question involved the seizure of funds meant for Rivers State, with the Federal High Court directing the Central Bank of Nigeria and the State’s bankers to withhold the release of funds to the State. The ruling was based on the claim that Governor Siminalayi Fubara had failed to present the State’s 2024 budget to the proper House of Assembly.

However, the Appeal Court pointed out that the mere presence of federal agencies in the case was a deliberate attempt to confer jurisdiction upon the lower court. The Appellate Court emphasized that the Federal High Court overstepped its authority and did not possess the requisite jurisdiction to entertain the matter in the first place.

Consequently, the Appeal Court struck out the suit filed in the lower court, effectively setting aside all the orders made therein due to the lack of jurisdiction. The ruling stated, “The Trial Court lacked subject matter jurisdiction to entertain the suit. Suit is struck out, and all orders made therein are set aside for want of jurisdiction.”