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Rivers Assembly fire: Go and report yourself to police, court tells Ehie
Justice Bolaji Olajuwon, of the Federal High Court, Abujam on Friday, insisted that Edison Ehie, the Chief of Staff (CoS) to Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara must answer to the allegations against him of complicity in the bomb explosion that took place at the Rivers State House of Assembly, which set part of it on fire.
In the thick of the crisis that engulfed the assembly, over the threat of his impeachment, the multi-billion naira edifice, was eventually pulled down by the governor on the excuse that it posed a threat to human life as a result, having failed the integrity test to which it was subjected by experts.
Olajuwon, in a ruling, on the application to strike out the matter for want of jurisdiction, held that Ehie, having not been joined as a defendant in the charge lacked the legal right to make such plea, while also striking out another prayer for an order striking out his name anywhere it might appear in the charge marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/25/2024.
Olajuwon, who observed that the name of Ehie, who resigned his position as Speaker in the camp of Fubara, who received and passed the state’s N800billion budget last year, was only mentioned as being at large, in agreeing with the police lawyer, Simon Lough (SAN), that having not been joined as a defendant in the charge, Ehie’s application cannot be heard, held that should he not be recognised as at large, he said he should make himself available to the police.
Ehie, who was recently appointed as Chief of Staff (CoS) to Fubara after his resignation was alleged to be among the suspects charged by the I-G for committing the offence, alongside five other suspects, who were arraigned on January 25, on seven-count charge bordering on alleged terrorism, among others.
Others standing trial, who are currently being detention in Kuje prison in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja, on the orders of the court, include: Chime Eguma Ezebalike, Prince Lukman Oladele, Kenneth Goodluck Kpasa, Osiga Donald and Ochueja Thankgod.
Ehie’s lawyer, Oluwole Aladedoye, (SAN), had informed the court that he had filed an application dated and filed on January 24, seeking for two orders, which he had already served on parties.
Informing that the sought orders, which were pursuant to Sections 6 and 36 of 1999 Constitution, he argued that it was incorrect that Ehie, whose name featured in the counts preferred by the Inspector-General (I-G) of Police had no right to make this application, adding that it would have been different if his name was not mentioned at all.
Arguing that the name of the former Speaker, was clearly stated in the affidavit contained in the charges before the court, the lawyer maintained that at no times was his client ever invited by the police, to warrant being dubbed at large.
But, Lough, who disagreed with the contention, maintained that though he was served with Ehie’s application, the motion was not ripe for hearing, adding that the application was therefore incompetent in view of Section 396(2) of Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), 2015.
Stressing that since Ehie was challenging the jurisdiction of the court, the provision of the law says until an applicant is joined and takes his plea before he can have the right to file such motion, he added: “His (Ehie’s) name is not in the charge and has not applied to be joined. So his application is incompetent.”
While acceding to his request that the prayer be struck out, Olajuwon, who agreed with Lough, asked: “Who is this person? The person is not a party in this charge and the order challenging the jurudiction of the court is refused. If that person is not at large, let him make himself available to the police,” she said.
With an angry riposte, the All Progressives Congress (APC), on Wednesday, waved away the sweltering criticisms from a groundswell of the public, lacerating Monday Okpebholo, Governor of Edo State, on his now viral video where he exhibited great difficulty in pronouncing the N650 billion figures, he presented to the Edo State House of Assembly as the state’s 2025 budget.
The social media have been awash with the video of the governor repeatedly trying to mention the figure correctly, and even at a point explaining that he was confused, a development, which has elicited different reactions from the public, with critics saying it was emblematic of the degeneration in the nation’s polity, where hugely incompetent people were being recruited into positions clearly beyond them for political purposes.
In the video, Okpebholo appeared to have gone smoothly until he got to the figure, and then began to flutter and stutter repeatedly, thus: “The Edo State 2025 Appropriation Bill of 6 billion… 650… 605 billion… 76 thou… 76 million…“Let me take it again. 506 billion… 605 billion… sorry… 776 billion… sorry, it’s confusing me.”
But in a swift pushback to the barrage of criticisms from the public, who also wondered what manner of budget would stop at just a round figure without fractions Jarrett Tenebe, Chairman of the APC in the state, in apparent defence of the governor, dismissed the issues raised as unfounded, arguing that the “mistake” was common to humans, including world leaders, including Jacob Zuma, former President of South Africa.
In his apparent anger over the meaning being adduced to the supposed blunder, the party boss, inferred that nobody was unfazed in the state, particularly within the APC camp, insisting that the people had willingly chosen the governor to lead them for the next four years and those in opposition of the choice should “go to hell and burn to ashes.”
Hear him: “The Social media has been agog with our governor’s budget presentation about a mistake on 650 billion and the rest of it all. It’s a normal thing. (Jacob) Zuma made such a mistake, and a lot of people make such mistakes. I don’t know figures. You see, that is how to know original figures. Obaseki will not make such a mistake because he has stolen figures. Asue Ighodalo will not make such a mistake because he has stolen billions before.
“Monday is not a thief, so he’s not familiar with figures. So, anybody who wants to talk can continue to talk. It’s nonsense. “He’s the governor of the state, he’s performing, and he will continue to perform. And anybody who does not like his face should go to hell and burn to ashes, period, and thank you,”
The budget titled: The Appropriation Bill is titled “Budget of Renewed Hope for a Rising Edo, the first by the governor, who emerged the winner in the election of Saturday, September 21, and was sworn in on Tuesday, November 12, 2024, which was presented was said to have reflected a 25 per cent increase from the 2024 budget.
Justice Maryanne Anenih of the HIgh Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Maitama on Tuesday ordered the remand of Yahaya Bello, immediate past Governor of Kogi State in Kuje Correctional Centre, Abuja pending his bail application.
By the court’s ruling, that the former governor’s bail application would now be given on January 29, 2025, it means that he would be spending the whole of Christmas and New Year period in prison, as the court adjourned further proceedings in the criminal case involving the alleged theft of N110billion against him instituted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Anenih, who had agreed with the submission that Bello’s bail application was filed prematurely, having been filed when Bello was neither in custody nor before the court, was incompetent, said: “Consequently, the instant application, having been filed prematurely is hereby refused.”
Rejecting his plea, of the former governor, who had earlier filed the application on November 22 before he was arrested on November 26 and arraigned on November 27, Anenih granted bail to Umar Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu, with whom he is standing trial on the ground of a N300million bond and that they must produce sureties who must have property worth the said amount within the court’s jurisdiction.
The former governor, is said to have since filed a fresh bail application with a plea to the court for an early hearing date, to prevent him from spending the yuletide period in Kuje correctional centre.
Abayomi Adeosun, the Presiding Magistrate, at the Chief Magistrate Court in Ado Ekiti, on Tuesday returned Dele Farotimi, lawyer and activist to prison till December 20, when his bail application will now be determined in the case of criminal defamation against Afe Babalola, Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) foremost lawyer and educationist.
Adeosun agreed with the prosecution that who had told the court that the bail application submitted by Farotime was incomplete and not properly filed, a development which came after a hot argument between police prosecuting lawyer and the legal team of Farotimi, over the propriety of Adeyinka Olumide-Fasuka, (SAN) in the matter, being a Senior Advocate of Nigeria.
Samson Osobu, the police lawyer prosecuting the matter, had also objected to the appearance of Olumide-Fasuka to represent the activist, standing trial on a 16 count-charge of defaming the legal luminary in his book, titled: Nigeria and its Criminal Justice System, which accused Babalola of corrupting Supreme Court judges, on the ground that members of the Inner Bar, were barred from appearing at magistrate courts.
Objecting to the senior lawyer taking over the matter, he cited the recent judgment of a court of Appeal in Ibadan, Oyo State delivered on July 16, 2024, where the court ruled that SAN could not appear before the magistrate court.
But countering, Olumide-Fasuka, who explained that the Ekiti state magistrate court law enacted by the House of Assembly allowed lawyers irrespective of status and title to appear in the court especially in criminal matters as it related to the suit against the defendant, urged the court to reject the argument of the prosecuting lawyer, noting that the verdict he cited might not have put into consideration all magistrate court laws across the country.
After listening to the argument, the Magistrate who stepped down his ruling on the matter for him to read the judgement, asked Olumide-Fasuka to step down and allow the most senior lawyer in Farotimi’s team to continue the case, pending his ruling on the matter, enabling Taiwo Adedeji, another lawyer in the team to take over.
After further argument on the matter, the court, which had on Wednesday, last week when Farotimi first appeared, slated the determination of the bail application for Tuesday, shifted proceedings to the new date while ordering that the activist be returned to prison custody till the new date.
Budget blunder: Go to hell, burn to ashes, Okpebholo remains governor – APC
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