Benue State High Court Halts Probe into Former Governor Ortom’s Administration

The Benue State High Court has issued a restraining order preventing the Benue State Government from probing the administration of former Governor Chief Samuel Ortom. This decision comes amid a contentious inquiry initiated by the current administration.

The state government had recently established a commission of inquiry to investigate the financial activities of the Benue State Government during Ortom’s tenure from May 29, 2015, to May 28, 2023. However, this move has been halted by the court following a motion filed by Ortom.

Justice T. T. Asua, in ruling on the motion ex-parte, granted an order stopping the commission from proceeding until a further hearing. The order was made based on an application by Ortom’s legal team, led by Senior Advocate of Nigeria Oba Maduabuchi, who argued that the Auditor General of Benue State had already audited and certified the state’s accounts, submitting comprehensive reports to the Benue State House of Assembly as mandated by the constitution.

Maduabuchi contended that since the Auditor General’s reports had been acted upon by the State Assembly and published in official gazettes, the current administration’s commission lacked the jurisdiction to reinvestigate these matters. He further argued that the governor’s actions represented an abuse of office and a political vendetta.

Justice Asua found merit in these arguments, granting the motion and scheduling a hearing within 14 days to further deliberate on the matter. The court’s order prevents the commission from undertaking any further steps regarding the inquiry until the motion on notice is resolved.