A Rivers State High Court in Port Harcourt has granted an ex-parte motion filed by Edison Ehie, Chief of Staff to Governor Sim Fubara, against the Nigerian Police.
Ehie sought the court’s intervention to prevent the police and other security agencies from arresting, detaining, or harassing him regarding his alleged role in the explosion at the Rivers State House of Assembly.
Presiding Judge Justice Sika Aprioku approved the order and scheduled a substantive application hearing for February 6th, 2024.
The Martin Amaewhule-led lawmakers previously filed a criminal petition against Ehie with the Rivers State Police Command, linking him to the invasion and arson attack on the State Assembly chambers by unknown hoodlums.
In their petition, the Amaewhule faction urged the police to apprehend and prosecute Ehie for his alleged involvement in the fire incident at the Assembly Complex on October 29, 2023.
In another development, a Federal High Court in Abuja has issued a warrant for the arrest of the Chief of Staff to the Rivers State governor and five other individuals based in Port Harcourt for their alleged participation in criminal activities related to the burning of the State House of Assembly.
The arrest warrant was granted by Justice Emeka Nwite following an ex-parte application brought before him by the Inspector General of Police.
The application cited sections of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015, the 1999 Constitution, and the Police Act, 2020.
According to the application, the defendants, including Ehie, are wanted for conspiracy, arson, terrorism, attempted murder, and murder of a Superintendent of Police, SP Bako Agbashim, and five other police informants.
The court granted the request to declare the defendants wanted and ordered their arrest for trial upon investigation. The ex-parte application is marked FHC/ABJ/ CS/12/2024.
The IGP had earlier put five Port Harcourt-based individuals on trial for alleged terrorism charges and remanded them at Kuje Prison.
They are accused of invading, vandalizing, and burning down the Rivers State House of Assembly during the political crisis in Port Harcourt in October last year.
