NEWS
Rivers Court Restrains Police From Arresting PAMO Varsity VC, Prof. Smith Jaja, Over Assembly Scholarship Probe
The Rivers State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt has restrained the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) and the Commissioner of Police, Rivers State Command, from arresting, detaining or compelling the Vice-Chancellor of PAMO University of Medical Sciences, Professor Smith Jaja, to appear before the Rivers State House of Assembly.
The interim injunction was issued on Wednesday by Justice F. Onyiri in Suit No. PHC/3692/FHR/2026, filed by Jaja against the Rivers State House of Assembly, its Speaker, the Inspector-General of Police and the Rivers State Commissioner of Police.
The court’s intervention comes amid a growing dispute between the university’s Vice-Chancellor and the state legislature over an ongoing investigation into scholarship funds reportedly released by the Rivers State Government to PAMO University.
The development followed the resolution of the Rivers State House of Assembly to issue a warrant for Jaja’s arrest after he allegedly failed on several occasions to honour invitations from an ad hoc committee investigating the disbursement and utilisation of the scholarship funds.
In its ruling, the court specifically restrained the police and other security agencies from implementing the Assembly’s resolution or taking steps to arrest, apprehend, detain or forcefully compel the Vice-Chancellor to appear before the committee or any other committee constituted by the House.
“IT IS ORDERED that an interim injunction is hereby made restraining the 4th to 5th Respondents, their officers, servants and any other security agents from carrying out or giving effect to the resolution of the 1st – 3rd Respondents directing to arrest, apprehend, detain or forcefully compel the applicant to appear before the ad hoc committee or any committee set up by the 1st to 3rd Respondents pending the hearing and determination of the substantive motion,” the court ruled.
Justice Onyiri ordered that the restriction would remain in force pending the hearing and determination of Jaja’s substantive application seeking the enforcement of his fundamental rights.
The court also granted the Vice-Chancellor permission to serve the originating processes and other court orders on the Rivers State House of Assembly and its Speaker through substituted means.
Under the order, the documents may be served by dropping them at the main gate of the Rivers State House of Assembly at the Assembly Quarters on Aba Road, Port Harcourt, or through publication in a newspaper.
Similarly, the court granted Jaja leave to serve the Inspector-General of Police and the Rivers State Commissioner of Police through the headquarters of the Rivers State Police Command on Moscow Road, Port Harcourt.
The matter has now been adjourned until October 9, 2026, when the court is expected to hear the substantive application concerning the alleged enforcement of Jaja’s fundamental rights.
The legal action arose from the Rivers State Assembly’s investigation into scholarship funds reportedly disbursed to PAMO University by the state government.
The Assembly’s Ad Hoc Committee, in a report presented to the House by its Chairman, Maol, accused PAMO University of receiving more than ₦29 billion from the Rivers State Government without corresponding student enrolment under the scholarship programme.
Following the presentation of the report, the House resolved to issue a warrant of arrest for Jaja over his alleged repeated failure to appear before the committee and provide explanations concerning the management and expenditure of the funds.
The Assembly also recommended that the Rivers State Government establish a committee to recover funds allegedly unaccounted for and reportedly in the possession of PAMO University, with such funds to be returned to the State Consolidated Revenue Account.
According to a statement issued by the Special Assistant on Media to the Speaker, Martins Wachukwu, the legislative investigation was conducted using documents obtained from the Ministries of Finance and Education, as well as the Office of the Accountant-General.
Speaker Martin Amaewhule said the scholarship initiative was conceived as a well-intentioned programme but alleged that its implementation was flawed.
Amaewhule further said documents obtained from the relevant government institutions contained conflicting figures, with the records indicating that only about ₦5 billion out of the more than ₦29 billion reportedly released to PAMO University had been accounted for.
The controversy had already intensified earlier in September when the Rivers State House of Assembly rejected the ₦6 billion earmarked for scholarships for Rivers indigenes studying at PAMO University under the state’s 2026 budget.
With the High Court now restraining the police from enforcing the Assembly’s arrest resolution, attention has shifted to the judicial proceedings scheduled for October 9, when the court is expected to consider Jaja’s substantive application for the enforcement of his fundamental rights.