Annkio Briggs: Ex-Rivers sole administrator Ibas must account for state funds

Niger Delta activist Annkio Briggs has demanded a full account of how public funds were managed during the six-month emergency rule in Rivers State, insisting that former sole administrator Rear Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd.) cannot walk away without scrutiny.

Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, Briggs accused Ibas of spending state resources while in charge and called for transparency in the interest of justice.

“He (Ibok-Ete Ibas) spent our money. He has to account to the people of Rivers State, even to Nigerians, for the sake of integrity and fairness,” she said.

Briggs argued that residents have a right to know how their resources were handled during the emergency period, stressing: “You can’t come into a state, get hold of all their resources and funds, stay there for six months, and just walk away as if you were never there.”

Ibas, a former Chief of Naval Staff, was appointed sole administrator after President Bola Tinubu declared emergency rule in Rivers on March 18, 2025, amid political unrest. His tenure ended on September 17, when Governor Siminalayi Fubara and other suspended state officials were reinstated.

Briggs’ remarks add to growing calls for accountability over government spending during the emergency, which many residents say lacked transparency.