A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has issued a bench warrant against the Chief of Staff to the Rivers State Governor, Rt. Hon. Edison Ehie, over the burning of the Rivers State House of Assembly complex in Port Harcourt last year.
But, in a dramatic twist of events, a Rivers State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, has granted a motion ex-parte filed by the Chief of Staff to the Rivers State Government House, Rt. Hon. Edison Ehie, against the Nigerian Police Force.
Ehie had gone to the court to restrain the Police or other security agencies from arresting, detaining and harassing him over his alleged involvement in the invasion and attack on the Rivers state House of Assembly.
LEADERSHIP gathered that the presiding Judge, Justice Sika Aprioku, after granting the order, adjourned to February 6, 2024 for hearing of the substantive application.
Recall that the Speaker Amaewhule-led lawmakers of the House had written petitions against Ehie to the Rivers State Police Command on the invasion and burning of the hallowed chamber of Rivers State House of Assembly by unknown hoodlums.
In the petition, the Amaewhule-led House of Assembly had demanded the Police to arrest and prosecute Ehie for his alleged involvement in the burning down House of Assembly building.
Meanwhile, in a similar development, Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court also ordered the arrest, investigation and trial of one Jinjiri Bala, Happy Benedict, Progress Joseph, Adokiye Oyagiri, and Chibuike Peter, also known as Rambo, over the arson on the State Assembly complex.
The order followed an ex-parte application by the Inspector General of Police against the erstwhile factional speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly and the other suspects.
The application, which was filed by a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and Deputy Commissioner of Police, Simon Lough, was hinged on Sections 37, 113, 114, 84, and 184 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015, Section 35 of the Nigerian Constitution and 32 of the Police Act, 2020.
The IGP accused the defendants, said to be at large, of the offences of conspiracy, arson, terrorism, and murder of a Superintendent of Police, Bako Agbashim, and five other police informants.
The five police informants in the Ahoada community of the state were identified as Charles Osu, Ogbonna Eja, Idaowuka Felix, Paul Victor Chibuogu and Saturday Edi.
