3rd February, 2024
*Police publish photos of Ehie, others as wanted suspects
By Okafor Ofiebor/Port Harcourt
Troubles are mounting for Edison Ehie, the Chief of Staff to Rivers Governor, Siminalayi Fubara as the police formally declared him and five others wanted over their alleged involvement in the burning of Rivers State House of Assembly Complex and allegations of murder and terrorism.
The Police published the gazette with the photographs of Ehie and the other wanted suspects online.
The publication of the police gazette followed the refusal of a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja Friday to strike out the terrorism charges brought against Ehie and five other people.
The Judge based his refusal on the fact that Ehie was not before the court as he was listed on the charge sheet as being at large.
The presiding Judge, Justice Mobolaji Olajuwon therefore declared that that Ehie, who was the factional Speaker of Rivers State House of Assembly, lacked legal powers to request for dismissal of the charges.
Olajuwon upheld the submission of the counsel to the Inspector General of Police, IGP, Simon Lough, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, that Ehie was not yet competent to make any application until he appears in court to take his plea in the terrorism charges.
Ehie, through his lawyer, Oluwole Aladedoye SAN, had applied that the criminal charges against him and others be dropped on various grounds.
He claimed that the Federal High Court in Abuja has no jurisdiction to entertain the trial because the alleged offences were committed in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
He also claimed that he had not been indicted by the police for any offence.
The request was, however, vehemently opposed on the ground that Ehie had not yet appeared before the court to take his plea.
The police lawyer cited Section 396 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act ACJA 2015.
In a brief ruling, Olajuwon dismissed the request of the former Speaker and upheld the arguments of the IGP.
The Judge counselled the Chief of Staff to either surrender himself to the police or appear in court to take a plea before he could qualify to make any application.
The Rivers House of Assembly Complex was burnt down on the night of October 29, 2023, following suspicion that 27 Lawmakers led by Martin Amaewhule as Speaker who are loyal to former governor Nyesom Wike were planning to impeach Fubara.
The Amaewhule group had accused Ehie, who subsequently led a faction loyal to Fubara of masterminding the burning down of the House of Assembly complex to prevent the sitting of the lawmakers and the plot to impeach the governor.
However, Ehie was appointed the Chief of Staff by Fubara after he resigned as a lawmaker.
But the police have levelled allegations of arson, terrorism and murder against the former factional Speaker.