• Ehie secures restraining order against arrest
A Federal High Court in Abuja, yesterday, issued a warrant for the arrest of the Chief of Staff (CoS) to the Rivers State Governor, Edison Ehie, over his alleged involvement in the burning of the state House of Assembly.
Ehie, who is the immediate past factional Speaker of state Assembly, was to be arrested along with five other people for allegedly participating in some criminal activities.
Those to be arrested along with Ehie are Jinjiri Bala, Happy Benedict, Progress Joseph, Adokiye Oyagiri and Chibuike Peter also known as Rambo. Justice Emeka Nwite granted the order, while delivering a ruling in an ex-parte application brought before him by the Inspector General of Police (IGP).
The ex-parte application was predicated on sections 37, 113, 114, 84 and 184 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015 and Section 35 of the 1999 Constitution, as well as 32 of the Police Act 2020.
In the ex-parte application argued by a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Simon Lough, the six defendants were said to be at large.
The senior lawyer submitted that the defendants are involved in conspiracy, arson, terrorism, attempted murder and murder of a Superintendent of Police, SP Bako Agbashim, and five other police informants.
HOWEVER, a Rivers State High Court, sitting in Port Harcourt, has granted a motion ex-parte filed by Ehie against arrest by security agencies. The Chief of Staff to Governor Fubara had gone to court to restrain the police and other security agencies from arresting, detaining and harassing him over his alleged involvement in the invasion of the Rivers State House of Assembly.
The presiding Judge, Justice Sika Aprioku, after granting the order, adjourned till February 6 for a hearing of the substantive application. It was gathered that the Martin Amaewhule-led lawmakers had written criminal petitions against Ehie to the Rivers Police Command for masterminding the invasion and burning of the hallowed chambers of the state Assembly on October 29, 2023.
In the petition, the lawmakers had demanded the police to arrest and prosecute Ehie for his alleged involvement in the burning of the Assembly building.
