A federal high court in Abuja has struck out an application filed by Edison Ehie, chief of staff to Siminalayi Fubara, Rivers governor, seeking to strike out a suit against him for want of jurisdiction.
Ehie had prayed the court for an order striking out his name anywhere it might appear in the charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/25/2024.
NAN reports that in a ruling on Friday, Bolaji Olajuwon, presiding judge, held that Ehie cannot make such an application since he has not been joined as a defendant in the said charge.
Ehie who was recently appointed as the governor’s chief of staff after he resigned as member and factional speaker of the assembly, is alleged to be among those responsible for the burning of the Rivers state house of assembly complex in October 2023.
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On October 29, 2023, a fire gutted a section of the assembly complex and the main chamber, amid plans to initiate impeachment proceedings against Siminalayi Fubara, governor of Rivers.
On January 25, five suspects were arraigned on a seven-count charge for allegedly burning down the Rivers assembly complex, killing Bako Agbashim, a superintendent of police, and five police informants in Ahoada community.
The suspects, Chime Ezebalike, Prince Oladele, Kenneth Kpasa, Osiga Donald and Ochueja Thankgod, pleaded not guilty.
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Ehie, whose name was mentioned in the charge (not as a defendant), was alleged to be at large alongside other suspects.
On Wednesday, Emeka Nwite, judge of a federal high court in Abuja, granted an ex parte application by the inspector-general of police (IGP) seeking Ehie’s arrest over his alleged involvement in the crime.
Shortly after, a high court in Rivers state also granted an ex-parte order restraining the police and other security agencies from arresting, detaining, and or harassing Ehie over the same alleged offences.
Sika Aprioku, the presiding judge, granted the order while ruling on an ex parte motion brought by Ehie.
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