The camp of Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State has won in court amid the crisis rocking the oil-rich state between his camp and that of his predecessor, Nyesom Wike.
This development emerged as a Federal High Court in Abuja invalidated the warrant of arrest issued for Edison Ehie, the Chief of Staff to Rivers State Governor Fubara, and five other supporters of the governor.
Justice Emeka Nwite, in a ruling on Thursday, declared that the court lacked the authority to grant the order or issue the arrest warrant, as there were no pending charges before the court at the time.
Justice Nwite had previously issued the warrant for Ehie’s arrest and five others on January 31, following an ex-parte application by Simon Lough, the lawyer for the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun. The warrant was related to their alleged involvement in the burning of the Rivers State House of Assembly building on October 29, 2023.
The other individuals named in the warrant alongside Ehie are Jinjiri Bala, Happy Benneth, Progress Joseph, Adokiye Oyagiri, and Chibuike Peter.
The judge granted the ex-parte application due to the defendants’ absence to stand trial on seven counts against them.
Femi Falana, SAN, and Oluwole Aladedoye, SAN, representing the defendants, argued separately that the court lacked jurisdiction to grant the order. Falana filed a motion to set aside the January 31 order, while Aladedoye requested a stay of execution of the arrest order.
Falana argued that no criminal charge or motion had been filed by the complainant, and the alleged offenses occurred in Port Harcourt, outside the court’s territorial jurisdiction.
Aladedoye filed a motion seeking a stay of execution of the court’s orders, citing an ongoing appeal challenging the jurisdiction of the court.
The Inspector-General had earlier arraigned the defendants on a seven-count criminal charge of terrorism and murder.