The funds were reportedly approved on September 12, 2025, during the period of emergency rule in Rivers State. A formal memorandum signed by Engr. Atemea K. Briggs, Special Adviser on Works, requested the approval of then-Sole Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas (rtd.), for “year 2025 constituency projects.” The memo claimed the funding was a response to the lawmakers’ stated desire to bring governance closer to their constituents. Approval was granted the same day, and the funds were subsequently funneled into bank accounts linked to private firms nominated by the legislators themselves.
Further investigations indicate that many of the companies nominated to execute these works are either inactive, dormant, or suspected shell companies. The list of approved projects included the construction of hospitals, police quarters, town halls, and ICT centers across various local government areas, including Abua/Odual, Akuku-Toru, Eleme, and Obio/Akpor. However, projects such as a cottage hospital in Emago Kugbo and an ultra-modern fire station in Buguma remain non-existent despite the full disbursement of ₦350 million per project. Government sources allege that several of the beneficiary firms were hastily incorporated shortly before the payments were made, lacking any operational record.
The timing of these payments is particularly significant, occurring just five days before the lifting of emergency rule by President Bola Tinubu on September 17, 2025. Following the restoration of constitutional order, these same 26 lawmakers have been at the forefront of a concerted move to impeach Governor Siminalayi Fubara. On January 8, 2026, the Assembly, led by Speaker Martins Amaewhule, formally initiated impeachment proceedings against Governor Fubara and Deputy Governor Ngozi Odu, citing gross misconduct. Political analysts suggest that the revelation of the ₦10.5 billion “ghost projects” may be a strategic counter-offensive by the executive branch to challenge the moral and legal standing of the lawmakers pushing for the Governor’s ouster.
While the impeachment plot has seen several fluctuations and reversals by lawmakers in the last 48 hours, the core group continues to insist on the Governor’s removal. Neither the FCT Minister nor the leadership of the State House of Assembly has issued a formal response to the specific allegations of misappropriated constituency funds. Legal experts suggest that if the EFCC or other anti-graft agencies intervene, the lawmakers could face prosecution for money laundering and the illegal conversion of public funds, a development that could fundamentally derail the ongoing impeachment process.
