Rivers Assembly Explosion: Court Stops Police From Arresting Fubara’s Chief Of Staff, Edison Ehie

An ex-parte motion filed by Edison Ehie, Chief of Staff to Governor Siminalayi Fubara, against the Nigerian Police has been granted by the Rivers State High Court in Port Harcourt, Naija News learnt.

Ehie had prayed the court to restrain the police and other security agencies from arresting, detaining, or harassing him in relation to his alleged involvement in the explosion at the Rivers State House of Assembly weeks ago.

On Wednesday, the Presiding Judge, Justice Sika Aprioku, granted the order and scheduled a hearing for the substantive application on February 6th, 2024.

The lawmakers led by Martins Amaewhule had submitted a criminal petition to the Rivers State Police Command, accusing Ehie of being involved in the invasion and arson attack on the chambers of the State Assembly by unidentified hoodlums.

The Amaewhule faction of the House of Assembly submitted a petition urging the police to apprehend and bring charges against Ehie for his purported role in the fire incident that occurred at the Assembly Complex on October 29, 2023.

Meanwhile, the Rivers Elders and Leaders Forum has urged the governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara, to remain vigilant while dealing with the commissioners in his cabinet who are allies of ex-governor Nyesom Wike.

A member of the Rivers Elders and Leaders Forum, Chief Anabs Sara-Igbe, told Punch on Tuesday that it was illegal for Fubara to welcome back into his cabinet nine pro-Wike commissioners who earlier resigned their appointments in the heat of the crisis between Wike and Fubara.

Recall that on Monday, Fubara had warned the returnee pro-Wike commissioners not to work against his government.

Speaking in a telephone interview with the aforementioned publication, Sara-Igbe said, “We have continued to maintain that you cannot protect your house with your sworn enemies.

“When your enemies are known, you push them away or you keep them at arms-length. But there is this saying that you cannot allow your enemies to be your guard because they will one day assassinate you.”

He noted that the Rivers Elders were still in court, challenging the resolution reached at a reconciliatory meeting convened by President Bola Tinubu in Abuja in December.

“Well, the governor is doing what he likes, but at the appropriate time the law will say whether he is right or not. As it is now we are in court, so we cannot preempt the court, when the time comes we will know whether what he (Fubara) is doing is right or wrong.

“As far as we are concerned, all the things he is doing are not in tandem with the law. So, we are in court and want the court to interpret the law as regards the eight-point directives, whether the eight-point directives will stand or not.

“If the court interpretes in our favour that the eight-point agenda cannot stand, then all he has done would become null and void. But if the law says otherwise then we can now discuss the matter after we have exhausted it because we are going to drag this case to the Supreme Court,” he added.

[Naijanews]