Court orders arrest of Rivers state Chief of Staff over alleged burning of House of Assembly

A Federal High Court, Abuja, on Wednesday, issued a warrant for the arrest of Mr Edison Ehie, the Chief of Staff (CoS), to Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers over the alleged involvement in the burning of the state’s House of Assembly.

Justice Emeka Nwite, who gave the order while delivering a ruling in an ex-parte application brought by the Inspector-General of Police (I-G), also ordered the arrest of five other accomplices.

Those ordered to be arrested along with Ehie are Jinjiri Bala, Happy Benedict, Progress Joseph, Adokiye Oyagiri and Chibuike Peter also known as Rambo.

Ehie, who was recently appointed as CoS after he resigned as member and factional speaker of the assembly, was alleged to be among the suspects charged by the I-G for committing the offence.

The ex-parte motion, marked: FHC/ABJ/ CS/12/2024, 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 moved by Simon Lough, SAN, and DCP, the six defendants were said to be at large.

The senior lawyer submitted that the defendants were involved in conspiracy, arson, terrorism, attempted murder and murder of SP Bako Agbashim and five other police informants.

The five police informants they were alleged to have killed are Charles Osu, Ogbonna Eja, Idaowuka Felix, Paul Victor Chibuogu and Saturday Edi.

Justice Nwite granted the I-G’s plea to declare the defendants wanted and, upon their arrest and investigation, bring them before the court for trial.

Five suspected arsonists of the assembly were, on January 25, arraigned before a sister court presided over by Justice Bolaji Olajuwon on allegations bordering on terrorism, among others.

The five defendants are Chime Eguma Ezebalike, Prince Lukman Oladele, Kenneth Goodluck Kpasa, Osiga Donald and Ochueja Thankgod.

They, however, pleaded not guilty to the seven-count charge and were ordered to remain in Kuje Correctional Centre until February 2, when their respective bail applications would be determined by the judge.