By Gideon Njoku
The political crisis in Rivers State escalated on Wednesday with an order by a Federal High Court, Abuja for the arrest of Edison Ehie, the newly appointed Chief of Staff to Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
The Honourable Justice Emeka Nwite, who ordered his arrest said that Ehie, very briefly, Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, and five others, were involved, allegedly, in the explosion which rocked the State House of Assembly to abort the planned impeachment of the Governor by Members of the Assembly loyal to the immediate past Governor of Rivers State, and now the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike.
Nwite ordered Ehie’s immediate arrest along with five other persons over the incident.
However a High Court in Porthacourt, Rivers State, on same Wednesday, stopped the Police from arresting Ehie. Ruling in an ex-parte motion filed by the Chief of Staff against the Nigerian Police, the Honourable Justice Sika Aprioku restrained the Police and other Security Agencies from harassing, arresting or detaining Ehie over the explosion at the House of Assembly. He adjourned the case to February 6, 2024.
Those ordered by the Federal High Court to be arrested along with the Chief of Staff are Jinjiri Bala, Happy Benedict, Progress Joseph, Adokiye Oyagiri and Chibuike Peter also known as Rambo.
Justice Nwite ordered their arrest while delivering a ruling in an ex-parte application brought before him by the Inspector General of Police IGP.
The application was based 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.
The ex-parte application was argued by a Deputy Commissioner of Police, Simon Lough, SAN, who said the six defendants were at large.
The DCP posited that the defendants were involved in conspiracy, arson, terrorism, attempted murder and murder of a Superintendent of Police SP Bako Agbashim and five other police informants.
The police informants allegedly killed were Charles Osu, Ogbonna Eja, Idaowuka Felix, Paul Victor Chibuogu and Saturday Edi.
