A Federal High Court in Abuja had remanded some loyalists of Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State.
A Rivers State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt has stopped Nigeria police from arresting Edison Ehie over an explosion at the state House of Assembly last year.
A Federal High Court in Abuja had remanded some loyalists of Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State.
They were remanded for their alleged involvement in the explosion that rocked and burnt some parts of the Assembly complex in October 2023.
The incident occurred amid alleged moves by some lawmakers loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, to impeach Governor Fubara on October 30, 2023.
Some of Governor Fubara’s loyalists were accused of being behind the explosion.
No fewer than five of the governor’s lobbyists have arraigned before Justice Bolaji Olajuwon of the Federal High Court in Abuja.
The lobbyists were identified as Chime Eguma Ezebalike, Prince Lukman Oladele, Kenneth Goodluck Kpasa, Osiga Donald and Ochueja Thankgod.
In the seven counts filed against them, the defendants were accused of committing terrorism offences by invading, vandalising and burning down Rivers State House of Assembly during the wake of the political crisis that rocked Port Harcourt in October 2023.
The governor’s loyalists were also accused of killing a Superintendent of Police, Bako Agbashim, and five police informants in the Ahoada community of the state.
On Wednesday, a Federal High Court in Abuja issued a warrant for the arrest of Ehie, the Chief of Staff (CoS) to Governor Fubara over his alleged involvement in the attack on the Assembly complex.
Ehie was a factional Speaker of the House of Assembly.
The court also ordered the arrest of five others namely Jinjiri Bala, Happy Benedict, Progress Joseph, Adokiye Oyagiri and Chibuike Peter, also known as Rambo.
However, a Rivers State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt on Wednesday granted an ex-parte motion filed by Ehie against the police.
Ehie had asked the court to restrain the police and other security agencies from arresting, detaining, or harassing him over his alleged involvement in the explosion at the complex.
The Presiding Judge, Justice Sika Aprioku, after granting the order, adjourned to February 6, 2024, for a hearing of the substantive application.