The Supreme Court of Nigeria has dismissed appeals filed by the Rivers State Attorney General and the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, paving the way for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to investigate former Rivers State Governor Peter Odili’s tenure.
In a ruling delivered on Monday, March 10, 2025, by a five-member panel led by Justice John Okoro, the apex court upheld the Court of Appeal’s decision granting the EFCC leave to challenge a 2007 perpetual injunction that barred the anti-graft agency from probing Odili’s administration.
Odili, who governed Rivers State from 1999 to 2007, had secured the injunction from the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt, preventing the EFCC from investigating, arresting, or prosecuting him, as well as examining the state’s finances during his tenure.
Since 2008, the EFCC has sought to overturn the injunction but faced legal hurdles for nearly two decades. In 2018, the Court of Appeal granted the EFCC permission to challenge the injunction, prompting the Rivers State Attorney General and the Speaker of the House of Assembly to file separate appeals at the Supreme Court.
During Monday’s proceedings, Justice Okoro questioned the nature of the appeals, describing them as interlocutory and unsuitable for the Supreme Court at this stage. He advised the parties to return to the Court of Appeal to address the substantive appeal before approaching the apex court.
Following this, the appellants’ lawyer, S. A. Somiari, SAN, withdrew the appeal, which the EFCC’s legal team, led by Abubakar Mahmud, SAN, did not oppose. The Supreme Court subsequently dismissed the appeal, with Justice Okoro ruling, “The appeal is dismissed, having been withdrawn without any objection.”
This ruling marks a significant milestone in the EFCC’s efforts to investigate allegations of financial misconduct during Odili’s tenure as Rivers State governor.
Supreme Court clears EFCC to probe Peter Odili’s tenure as Rivers State governor.
