Two courts issue conflicting orders on arrest of Gov Fubara’s chief of staff over explosion at Rivers Assembly

A Rivers State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt and a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, the nation’s capital have issued two conflicting orders on the arrest of the Chief of Staff to Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, Ehie Edison over last year’s explosion at the state House of Assembly.

While the Rivers State High Court issued an order stopping the arrest of Edison by the police, the Federal High Court, Abuja, gave the police tbe go ahead to arrest Edison alongside others said to be at large.

The Port Harcourt court made the order following an ex parte application taken before it by Edison, who was a member of the Rivers State House of Assembly when the Assembly complex was bombed to foil an attempt by lawmakers loyal to ex-governor Nyesom Wike to impeach Fubara.

Ehie, in his application, urged the court to restrain the police or other security agencies “from arresting, detaining and harassing” him over the Assembly incident.

Justice Sika Aprioku, after granting the order, adjourned till February 6 for hearing of the substantive application.

Read also: Tinubu rejects blanket stereotyping of Nigerians as corrupt

However, in a direct conflict with the Rivers High Court order, the Federal High Court in Abuja also on Wednesday granted the police an order to arrest Ehie over the Assembly explosion.

Justice Emeka Nwite, who heard the ex parte application by the police, issued a warrant for the arrest of Ehie and five others.

In the ex parte application, the defendants were accused of conspiracy, arson, terrorism, attempted murder, and murder of a Superintendent of Police, Bako Agbashim, and five other police informants.

The ex parte application was predicated on sections 37, 113, 114, 84, and 184 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015 and Section 35 of the 1999 Constitution as well as 32 of the Police Act 2020.

While granting the application, Justice Nwite held: “That the complainant/application’s application dated and filed 29th day of January 2024 is granted as prayed.

“That an order of this Honourable Court is hereby made issuing a Warrant of Arrest against Ehie, Bala, Benneth, Joseph, Oyagiri, and Chibuike (aka Rambo) fleeing Defendants in the case. “

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now