A Rivers State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, has granted an ex parte motion filed by the Chief of Staff to Governor Siminalayi Fubara, Hon. Edison Ehie, restricting the Nigerian Police Force from arresting him.
But Justice Emeka Nwite of a Federal High Court, Abuja, had also ordered the arrest of Ehie and five others.
Nwite issued a warrant of arrest for the defendants over their alleged complicity in acts of arson, terrorism, and murder amongst others.
Ehie, filed an ex parte motion restraining the police or other security agencies from arresting, detaining or harassing him over alleged invasion and burning down of the Hallowed Chambers of the State House of Assembly.
The Chief of Staff was a factional Speaker of the State House of Assembly, before he recently signed for a higher responsibility.
Presiding judge, Justice Sika Aprioku, gave the order on Wednesday, following the motion adjourned till February 6, for hearing of the substantive application.
The Martin Amaewhule-led legislative arm of the state had filed a criminal petition against Edison Ehie to the police in the state over the invasion and burning of the hallowed chambers of the Rivers State House of Assembly by unknown hoodlums.
In the petition, the Amaewhule led House of Assembly had demanded the police to arrest, prosecute Ehie, who is now the Chief of Staff Rivers State Government House, accusing him of alleged involvement in the burning down of the House of Assembly chambers.
But Justice Nwite has ordered the arrest of Ehie and five others: Jinjiri Bala, Happy Benedict, Progress Joseph, Adokiye Oyagiri and Chibuike Peter also known as Rambo.
Nwite issued a warrant of arrest for the defendants over their alleged complicity in acts of arson, terrorism, and murder amongst others.
The order was sequel to an ex parte application brought before the court by the Inspector General (IG) of Police, dated and filed on January 29.
The ex-parte application was predicated on Sections 37, 113, 114, 84 and 184 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015, and Section 35 of the 1999 Constitution as well as 32 of the Police Act, 2020.
In the exparte application argued by a Senior Advocate of Nigeria SAN and Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Simon Lough, the six defendants were said to be at large.
The senior lawyer submitted that the defendants were involved in conspiracy, arson, terrorism, attempted murder and murder of a Superintendent of Police (SP) Bako Agbashim and five other police informants.
The five police informants were alleged to have killed Charles Osu, Ogbonna Eja, Idaowuka Felix, Paul Victor Chibuogu and Saturday Edi.
Delivering ruling in the application, Nwite held that after reading the affidavit in support of the application and hearing the argument of the complainant/application, “the application dated and filed January 29, is granted as prayed.”
He subsequently made an order for the issuing of a warrant of arrest for the six defendants and to also declare them wanted.
A Certified True Copy (CTC) of the court’s order, signed by a Registrar of the Court, Kasope Bola, showed that the exparte application was marked FHC/ABJ/ CS/12/2024.
The IG had two weeks ago put five Port Harcourt-based persons on trial on charges bordering on terrorism, arson and the burning of the Rivers State House of Assembly.
The defendants were, however, remanded at the Kuje Correctional Center, pending the hearing and determination of their bail.
The five defendants are Chime Eguma Ezebalike, Prince Lukman Oladele, Kenneth Goodluck Kpasa, Osiga Donald and Ochueja Thankgod.
Alex Enumah and Blessing Ibunge
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