•Justice John Tsoho
The Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice John Tsoho, has transferred all cases on emergency rule declared by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in Rivers State from the Port Harcourt Division of the court to the Abuja Division.
A document listed the transferred cases as Dr. Farah Dagogo v President & 4 others in Suit no FHC/PH/ CS/50/2025, and Pilex Centre for Civic Education Initiative & Another v The Administrator with suit no FHC/PHC/CS/46/2025, reports The Nation.
Others are Incorporated Trustee of Rivsbridge Peace v President & others in Suit no FHC/PH/SC/43/2025, Incorporated Trustee of People’s Life Improvement Foundation & others v the President & 2 others in Suit no FHC/PH/SC/2025, Belema Briggs & 4 others v the President and others in Suit no FHC/PH/SC/51/2025, and Samuel T. O. Amatonje Esq, President & others in Suit no FHC/ PH/SC/53/2025.
The Chief Judge explained that the cases were transferred to the Abuja Division in line with Order 49, Rule 2 of the Federal High Court (Civil Procedures) Rules, 2019.
The Attorney-General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, was said to have written to the Federal High Court requesting the transfer of the cases, citing the Court Rules.
It was, however, observed that before the transfer, hearing had already commenced in some of the cases at the Port Harcourt Federal High Court, especially on the case marked Dr. Farah Dagogo v. President & 4 others.
President Tinubu on March 18 declared a state of emergency in Rivers and suspended the state Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, his Deputy, Prof. Ngozi Odu and members of the state House of Assembly to avert anarchy and bloodshed following the protracted political crisis in the state.
