Arson: Court Rejects Edison Ehie’s Request To Dismiss Criminal Charges

A Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday struck down an application by Edison Ehie, Chief of Staff to Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers, seeking to dismiss the criminal charges against him and others for lack of jurisdiction.

Justice Bolaji Olajuwon ruled that Ehie, not being a defendant in the case, lacked the legal standing to request such an order.

Justice Olajuwon also dismissed Ehie’s plea to remove his name from the charges, aligning with the argument presented by the police’s lawyer, Simon Lough, SAN.

Ehie’s connection to the case stems from allegations that he was among those charged by the Inspector-General of Police for offenses related to arson at the Rivers House of Assembly.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that on January 25, five alleged arsonists were arraigned before Justice Olajuwon on a seven-count, including terrorism.

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Ehie, said to be on the run, is linked to this case.

The defendants arraigned—Chime Eguma Ezebalike, Prince Lukman Oladele, Kenneth Goodluck Kpasa, Osiga Donald, and Ochueja Thankgod—pleaded not guilty and were remanded in Kuje Correctional Centre pending their bail hearings.

During the hearing, Ehie’s lawyer, Oluwole Aladedoye, SAN, argued for the court to consider their application, which was based on Sections 6 and 36 of the 1999 Constitution.

Aladedoye insisted that Ehie, despite not being formally charged, had the right to file the motion due to his name appearing in the charges.

However, Lough countered that the motion was premature and invalid under Section 396(2) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), 2015, since Ehie had not yet been joined to the case or entered a plea.

Justice Olajuwon sided with the police counsel, noting that Ehie’s mention as someone at large did not warrant a legal challenge to the court’s jurisdiction. She advised Ehie to present himself to the police if he was not in hiding.

The court proceeded to reject Ehie’s request to have his name struck from the charges, moving on to consider the bail applications of the five defendants.

NAN