The Rivers State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt has restrained the Inspector-General of Police and the Commissioner of Police, Rivers State, from arresting, detaining or compelling the Vice-Chancellor of PAMO University of Medical Sciences (PUMS), Prof. Smith Jaja, to appear before the Rivers State House of Assembly’s ad hoc committee investigating the management of funds received by the university from the state government.

The order was issued yesterday by Justice F. Onyiri in Suit No. PHC/3692/FHR/2026, filed by Prof. Jaja under the Fundamental Human Rights (Enforcement Procedure) Rules, 2009.

The court’s interim order specifically restrained the fourth and fifth respondents, the Inspector-General of Police and the Commissioner of Police, Rivers State, as well as their officers, servants and other security agents, from carrying out or giving effect to any resolution directing them to arrest, apprehend, detain or forcefully compel the applicant to appear before the ad hoc committee or any committee constituted by the Rivers State House of Assembly.

The order is to remain in force pending the hearing and determination of the substantive application filed by the Vice-Chancellor for the enforcement of his fundamental rights.

The Rivers State House of Assembly, its Speaker, the Deputy Speaker and Chairman of the ad hoc committee, Dumle Maol, are listed as the first to third respondents in the suit.

The ad hoc committee, chaired by Maol, was constituted by the Assembly to investigate the management of funds received by PAMO University of Medical Sciences from the Rivers State Government.

Justice Onyiri also granted the Vice-Chancellor leave to serve the Rivers State House of Assembly, the Speaker and Maol with the originating processes and any order of the court by substituted means.