Rivers Chief Magistrate quits job over quasi-military govt in state
A Chief Magistrate in Rivers State, Ejike King George, has quit his job in opposition to what he described as a quasi-military administration running the state.
In a letter dated April 11, 2025, and addressed to the Honourable Chief Judge of Rivers State through the Secretary of the Rivers State Judicial Service Commission, George described the governance style as incompatible with the values of the legal profession.
“This difficult and regrettable decision is informed largely by my discomfort with the recent appointment of a quasi-military administration to run the affairs of a modern State like ours,” the letter reads.
He characterised the new administration as “alien” and “antithetical” to democratic principles upheld by the judiciary.
George stated that he had spent 22 years in legal practice, dedicating 16 of those to the Rivers State Judiciary under several democratic governments.
He said remaining in office would be tantamount to “tacit and naïve acquiescence.”
“Thanks, Milord, for the opportunity to serve,” George concluded in his letter, which now resonates within the wider atmosphere of legal and political unease in the state.
The resignation comes against the backdrop of deepening political turmoil in Rivers State, culminating in the suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara by the State House of Assembly.
