A Rivers State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt on Wednesday restrained the police from arresting the Chief of Staff of the Rivers Government House, Edison Ehie, the immediate past factional Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly.
On the same day, a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja issued a warrant for the arrest of Ehie and five other persons, who were accused of complicity in the alleged invasion, vandalization, and burning down of the Rivers State House of Assembly complex.
Ehie, in the exparte motion, had approached the court to restrain the police or other security agencies from arresting, detaining, or harassing him over his alleged involvement in the invasion and burning down of the Rivers State House of Assembly.
The trial judge, Justice Sika Aprioku, gave the order following the motion adjourned till February 6, for hearing of the substantive application.
The Martin Amaewhule-led legislative arm of the state had filed a criminal petition against Edison Ehie with the police in the state over the invasion and burning of the Rivers State House of Assembly by hoodlums.
Abuja court orders Ehie and others to be arrested.
This came as Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court, Abuja, equally ordered the arrest of five other persons who were accused of complicity in the alleged invasion, vandalism, and burning down of the Rivers State House of Assembly complex.
Others ordered to be arrested include Jinjiri Bala, Happy Benedict, Progress Joseph, Adokiye Oyagiri and Chibuike Peter, a.k.a Rambo.
The order followed an ex-parte application brought before the court by the Inspector General of Police (IGP).
A Deputy Commissioner of Police, Simon Lough, SAN, who moved the application Wednesday, told the court that the six defendants were currently at large.
He told the court that the defendants were involved in conspiracy, arson, terrorism, attempted murder, and the murder of a Superintendent of Police, Bako Agbashim and five other police informants in Rivers State.
The police gave the names of the deceased informants as Charles Osu, Ogbonna Eja, Idaowuka Felix, Paul Victor Chibuogu and Saturday Edi.
The court held that it was persuaded by the submissions of the police lawyer as well as an affidavit that was attached in support of the application marked: FHC/ABJ/ CS/12/2024.
