Nigerian Court Remands Governor Fubara’s Loyalists In Prison Over Rivers Assembly Explosion

They were remanded for their alleged involvement in the explosion that rocked and burnt the Rivers State Assembly complex in October 2023.

AFederal High Court in Abuja has remanded some loyalists of Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State.

They were remanded for their alleged involvement in the explosion that rocked and burnt the Rivers State Assembly complex in October 2023

An explosion that rocked the State House of Assembly Complex last October burnt some parts of the facility.

The incident occurred amid alleged moves by some lawmakers loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, to impeach Governor Fubara on October 30, 2023.

Some of Governor Fubara’s loyalists were accused of being behind the explosion.

On Thursday, The PUNCH reported that no fewer than five of the Governor’s lobbyists were arraigned before Justice Bolaji Olajuwon of the Federal High Court in Abuja.

The lobbyists were identified as Chime Eguma Ezebalike, Prince Lukman Oladele, Kenneth Goodluck Kpasa, Osiga Donald and Ochueja Thankgod.

In the seven-count charge against them, the defendants were accused of committing terrorism offences by invading, vandalising and burning down Rivers State House of Assembly during the wake of the political crisis that rocked Port Harcourt in October 2023.

The governor’s loyalists were also accused of killing a Superintendent of Police, Bako Agbashim, and five police informants in the Ahoada community of the state.

The police informants alleged to have been killed are Charles Osu, Ogbonna Eja, Idaowuka Felix, Paul Victor Chibuogu, and Saturday Edi.

The defendants were also accused of using various cult groups, namely- Supreme Viking Confraternity, Degbam, Iceland, and Greenland to unleash mayhem on the people of the state and their commercial activities.

However, they all pleaded not guilty to the allegations.

The court ordered that the defendants be remanded in prison custody till February 2 when their respective bail applications will be determined.

Although the immediate past factional Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Hon Edison Ehie, was not listed in the seven counts terrorism charges, he was however represented in court by Oluwole Aladedoyin (SAN), on the ground that his name featured prominently in the alleged offences.

He challenged the allegations that he was at large alongside other suspects.

Justice Olajuwon did not however allow further arguments on the ground that he was not yet a defendant in the charges.

It was reported that shortly after the arraignment of the defendants, the leader of the prosecuting team, Audu Garba, applied for a date for their trial.

But Lukman Fagbemi (SAN), who stood for Chime Eguma Ezebalike and Prince Lukman Oladele who are the 1st and 2nd defendants, sought to move applications for their bail on the ground that they have been in police custody since last year.

The prosecution counsel, Audu Garba, however vehemently opposed the reason that he had just been served with the bail applications and needed time to study them and file a counter affidavit.

In his ruling, Justice Olajuwon agreed with the prosecution counsel that the bail applications were not ripe for hearing and fixed February 2 for the hearing of all bail applications.

The judge ordered that the five defendants be remanded in Kuje Prison pending hearing and determination of their bail applications and ordered that they would be returned to court on the adjourned date.

The judge said that “The defendants are hereby remanded pending the hearing and determination of the bail applications.”

 

Culled from Punch Newspaper