Rivers funds: Trouble looms as ICPC reviews petition against Ibas

Ibas

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission has confirmed receiving a petition demanding a probe into the handling of Rivers State federal allocations by the state’s former Sole Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd.).

The petition, filed by civil rights activist and lawyer, Deji Adeyanju, came days after Ibas ended his administration of the state on September 18.

Speaking with The PUNCH on Thursday in Abuja, ICPC spokesperson, Demola Bakare, confirmed receipt of the petition, noting that it had been forwarded to the commission’s legal department for review.

“Yes, we have received the petition and will look at its merit. It has a process. We receive it at the registry, the chairman gets it, and he forwards it for a legal opinion,” he said.

Adeyanju’s September 23, 2025, petition was titled “Petition for the investigation into the financial expenditure of Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas (retd.), former Sole Administrator of Rivers State”.

The activist urged the ICPC to urgently investigate Ibas’s financial activities during his administration between March 18 and September 17, 2025.

Quoting official data from the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, Adeyanju claimed that Rivers State under Ibas’s control received a total of N283.3bn, excluding Internally Generated Revenue. Punch