A Federal High Court in Abuja is scheduled to hear motions on Monday regarding an arrest warrant issued against Edison Ehie, the chief of staff to Gov. Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers. This comes as Ehie seeks to vacate the arrest warrant previously issued against him and five others.
Justice Emeka Nwite fixed the date for the hearing after counsel for Ehie and the five others, Femi Falana, SAN, and Oluwole Aladedoye, SAN, filed separate applications to that effect.
The warrant for Ehie’s arrest was issued on January 31 over his alleged involvement in the burning of part of the state’s House of Assembly on Oct. 29, 2023. Justice Nwite ordered the arrest of five other accomplices accompanying Ehie.
The Inspector-General of Police (I-G) had brought an ex-parte application before the court, alleging that the six defendants had been at large to stand trial in a seven-count charge preferred against five other suspected arsonists currently being prosecuted before a sister court.
In response, Falana filed a motion seeking to set aside the January 31 order made by Justice Nwite, while Aladedoye filed an application for a stay of execution of the arrest order.
Ehie, recently appointed as CoS after resigning as a member and factional speaker of the assembly, was alleged to be among the suspects being charged by the I-G. His resignation was reportedly part of the agreements reached in the bid to reconcile Fubara and former governor, Nyesom Wike, now the FCT minister.
Both Falana and Aladedoye argued that the court lacked the territorial jurisdiction to entertain the ex-parte application, and that the I-G did not adduce evidence of terrorism in the affidavit in support of their application.
NAN
