The Rivers State Judiciary has dismissed as false and misleading claims made by retired Chief Magistrate Ejike King-George regarding the circumstances surrounding his retirement from service.
King-George recently circulated a letter on social media, stating that he voluntarily retired due to his discomfort with what he described as the appointment of a “quasi-military administration” to govern the state.
However, during a press briefing in Port Harcourt, the Chief Registrar of the Rivers State High Court, David Ihua-Maduenyi, clarified that King-George was compulsorily retired effective February 10, 2025, following a disciplinary process initiated by the Judicial Service Commission (JSC).
According to Ihua-Maduenyi, the former magistrate had been absent from duty without official approval from August 25, 2023, through December 2024. He revealed that although King-George initially received approval for medical leave to travel to London, a subsequent request for further extension was denied due to a lack of supporting medical documentation.
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“On July 24, 2023, he applied for medical leave to London, which was approved. He later requested a second extension, which I also granted. However, on August 25, 2023, he applied again without attaching medical documents to justify the request.
“I declined the extension and directed him to resume duty, but he refused,” Ihua-Maduenyi explained.
He added that a formal query was issued to King-George on January 9, 2024, with a response received the following day, but the magistrate still failed to return to work. Consequently, a formal report was submitted to the JSC on January 23, 2024.
“The JSC set up a panel to investigate the matter. After hearing from him, the panel recommended that he either retire voluntarily within 14 days or face compulsory retirement. He failed to opt for voluntary retirement, and on February 12, 2025, the JSC issued a letter enforcing his compulsory retirement.”
He further described King-George’s attempts to link his retirement to the political climate in the state as contrived falsehoods and a mischievous action calculated to deceive the public and attract undeserved sympathy.
Ihua-Maduenyi also revealed that King-George continued to receive his salary throughout the period he was absent from work, noting that he personally appealed to the JSC not to demand a refund of the salaries paid.
“I thought it was a soft landing to allow him to resolve his issues quietly, not to escalate the matter or mislead the public,” he said.
The Judiciary reiterated its commitment to upholding discipline and accountability within its ranks and urged the public to disregard what it called “deliberate misinformation” aimed at undermining the institution.
