COURT REFUSES TO DISMISS TERRORISM CHARGES AGAINST FUBARA’S COS, EDISON EHIE
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Justice Mobolaji Olajuwon of the Federal High Court in Abuja has refused to dismiss the terrorism charges brought against five loyalists of Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State.
The Judge on Friday declined to terminate the charges as requested by Hon Edison Ehie, the current Chief of Staff to the governor.
The court held that Ehie, who was the factional Speaker of Rivers State House of Assembly, lacked legal powers to request for dismissal of the charges.
Olajuwon supported the Inspector General of Police’s (IGP) counsel, Simon Lough, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, who submitted that Ehie was ineligible to file any applications until he appeared in court to enter a plea to the terrorism allegations.
Ehie had requested the criminal charges against him and the others be withdrawn on a number of grounds through his attorney, Oluwole Aladedoye SAN.
He argued that because the alleged offenses were committed in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, the Federal High Court in Abuja lacked jurisdiction to hear the case.
Additionally, he asserted that he had not received a police indictment for any crimes.
On the grounds that Ehie had not yet appeared in court to enter a plea, the request was, nevertheless, fiercely denied.
Section 396 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA 2015) was cited by the police attorney.
Olajuwon dismissed the former Speaker’s appeal and affirmed the IGP’s reasons in a succinct verdict.
The Judge said the charge sheet only indicated that Ehie is at large and not yet listed on the charge as required by law.
He counselled the Chief of Staff to either surrender himself to police or appear in court to take a plea before he could qualify to make any application..
The five defendants on the charge sheet are Chime Eguma Ezebalike, Prince Lukman Oladele, Kenneth Goodluck Kpasa, Osiga Donald and Ochueja Thankgod.
In the 7-count charges, the defendants were accused of committing alleged terrorism offences by invading, vandalizing and burning down the Rivers State House of Assembly in the wake of the political crisis that rocked Port Harcourt in October last year.
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