The arrest warrant against Fubara’s Chief of Staff is set aside by the court

Edison Ehie, the Chief of Staff (CoS) to Gov. Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers, had the warrant of arrest issued against him by a Federal High Court in Abuja, vacated on Thursday.

The ruling by Justice Emeka Nwite agreed with the CoS’ counsel, Femi Falana, SAN, and Oluwole Aladedoye, SAN, appearing for Ehie’s co-defendants, asserting that the court lacked jurisdiction to issue the arrest warrant.

At the time the arrest warrant was issued, there were no pending charges before the court, as held by Justice Nwite.

Consequently, the warrant for the arrest of Ehie and five others was vacated by the court.

The warrant had been issued on January 31, following Ehie’s alleged involvement in the burning of part of the state’s House of Assembly on October 29, 2023.

Other individuals set to be arrested along with Ehie include Jinjiri Bala, Happy Benneth, Progress Joseph, Adokiye Oyagiri, and Chibuike Peter also known as Rambo.

The arrest warrant was granted in an ex-parte application by the Inspector-General (I-G) of Police’s lawyer, Simon Lough, SAN, which Justice Nwite ruled on.

Following motions filed by Falana and Aladedoye, seeking to set aside the arrest order and stay its execution respectively, the court proceeded to grant these requests.

In his argument, Falana cited lack of territorial jurisdiction and absence of evidence of terrorism as grounds for setting aside the arrest order.

Aladedoye, on behalf of the five defendants, sought a stay of execution and injunction against carrying out the court’s orders.

With appeals filed challenging Justice Nwite’s orders, the defense argued that their appeal would be undermined if the court did not grant their application.