Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has begun analysing detailed financial records showing how more than ₦302 billion was spent in Rivers State during six months of emergency rule, as part of an ongoing court battle over transparency.
The civil society group obtained the documents following a Freedom of Information lawsuit filed against the state’s Accountant-General and Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning at the Rivers State High Court.
In filings submitted to the court, the authorities said the state received over ₦253.48 billion from the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) and an additional ₦44.87 billion in other revenues between March and August 2025. Total spending during the period was put at about ₦302.35 billion.
SERAP said its preliminary review of the documents — including bank statements and budget records — shows multiple large transfers to government entities and repeated payments to Government House, with transactions ranging from ₦1.8 million to ₦4.27 billion. Several payments of up to ₦900 million were recorded multiple times.
The group noted that ₦112.41 billion was spent on salaries, pensions and overheads, while ₦163.44 billion was allocated to ministries, departments and agencies, with over ₦106 billion disbursed in August alone.
Loan servicing accounted for about ₦26.5 billion, alongside nearly ₦492 million in bank charges, according to the documents.
SERAP deputy director Kolawole Oluwadare said the organisation was scrutinising the records to determine whether the government had fully complied with its request.
“Our teams are analysing the spending project-by-project and will decide whether our requests have been fully complied with or if further legal steps are necessary,” he said.
The group said the disclosures followed its October 2025 lawsuit seeking access to spending details during the emergency administration in Rivers State.
The case, before Justice S.H. Aprioku, has been adjourned until May 19 for further hearing.