“He Was Retired for Misconduct, Not Politics” — Rivers Judiciary Reacts to Former Chief Magistrate’s Claims

The Rivers State Judiciary has refuted claims made by retired Chief Magistrate Ejike King George regarding the circumstances of his exit from service, stating that his compulsory retirement was due to misconduct and not political developments in the state.

George had claimed he voluntarily resigned from the judiciary in protest against what he described as a “quasi-military administration” currently governing Rivers State. In a resignation letter dated April 11, 2025, addressed to the Honourable Chief Judge through the Secretary of the Judicial Service Commission, George described the new political leadership as “alien” to democratic principles and incompatible with the values of the legal profession. He said continuing in office would amount to “tacit and naïve acquiescence,” adding that he had served 22 years in legal practice, 16 of which were with the Rivers State Judiciary.

However, speaking at a press briefing in Port Harcourt on Tuesday, the Chief Registrar of the Rivers State High Court, David Ihua Maduenyi, said George was not given the option to resign but was compulsorily retired for gross misconduct. According to Maduenyi, George had been absent from duty without official leave from August 25, 2023, until December 2024. A disciplinary panel set up by the Judicial Service Commission found him culpable and recommended his removal. The JSC reviewed the recommendation and approved compulsory retirement, effective February 10, 2025.

Maduenyi described George’s attempts to frame his removal as politically motivated as “a contrived falsehood” aimed at misleading the public and garnering sympathy. He said the narrative being pushed by the former magistrate was misleading and did not reflect the facts surrounding his dismissal.