A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has set aside a warrant of arrest issued against the Chief of Staff of Rivers Government House Ehie Eddison and five others over alleged involvement in the murder and burning of the State House of Assembly.
Justice Emeka Nwite vacated the warrant while delivering his ruling in an application seeking to vacate the warrant of arrest which he issued on January 31, 2024.
The Judge said he was misled by the police in ordering the arrest of Ehie in connection with the burning of the Rivers State House of Assembly on October 30, 2023.
The Police, had told the court that Ehie and five others masterminded the bombing of the Rivers State House of Assembly amid a plot to impeach Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara.
The five others are Jinjiri Bala, Happy Benedict, Progress Joseph, Adokiye Oyagiri, and Chibuike Peter, alias Rambo.
Justice Emeka Nwite while setting aside the warrant said it has now become a mere academic exercise.
The judge further granted same to the 2nd to 5th Defendant/Applicant in same suit.
Eddison Ehie was represented by Femi Falana SAN, Wole Oladoye, SAN, Dr Bimpe Ajegbomogun and Barr Asmau Yakubu.
Though Ehie’s name was mentioned in the courts, he was not listed among the defendants.
Speaking to Journalists one of Ehie’s Counsel, Wole Oladoye said, “My client was never invited by the police for anything. All that he saw was that they filed a charge; they mentioned his name in four out of seven charges for murder and arson.”
Aladedoye also argued that it was strange that the Inspector-General of Police left all the courts in Rivers State, where the alleged offences were committed, to file an application before the Federal High Court in Abuja.
“Your Lordship has no jurisdiction to entertain the matter here,“ the counsel said.
Counsel for the other defendants, Femi Falana(SAN), said the crime his clients were alleged to have committed were state offences allegedly commited in Port Harcourt,Rivers State.
In the application, it was stated that “What is disclosed are state offences; it is our submission that this court cannot exercise any jurisdiction in state offences without the fiat of the Attorney General of Rivers State”.
