EFCC Gets S’Court Nod To Investigate Peter Odili’s Tenure As Ex Rivers Gov

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 the tenure of former Rivers State Governor, Peter Odili.

In a landmark ruling delivered on Monday, March 10, 2025, a five-member panel of the apex court, led by Justice John Okoro, upheld the leave granted by the Court of Appeal to the EFCC, allowing the anti-graft agency to challenge a long-standing perpetual injunction that had barred it from probing Odili’s administration.

The perpetual injunction, secured by Odili in 2007, had prevented the EFCC from investigating, arresting, or prosecuting him, as well as scrutinizing the state’s finances during his tenure. The EFCC has been fighting to overturn the injunction since 2008, but the legal blockade had shielded Odili from its investigations for nearly two decades.

During the proceedings at the Supreme Court, Justice Okoro questioned the nature of the appeals, describing them as interlocutory and not the kind of cases the apex court hears at this stage. The litigants’ lawyer, S. A. Somiari, SAN, argued that the appeal challenged the leave granted by the Court of Appeal for the EFCC to appeal the 2007 injunction. However, Justice Okoro advised the parties to return to the Court of Appeal to have the substantive appeal heard before approaching the Supreme Court.

Recognizing the court’s position, Somiari applied to withdraw the appeal, while the EFCC’s legal team did not oppose the withdrawal. The Supreme Court subsequently dismissed the appeal, with Justice Okoro ruling that “the appeal is dismissed, having been withdrawn without any objection”. A similar appeal filed by the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly was also dismissed on the same grounds.