JUST IN: Federal High Court Rules in Murder Case Against Rivers State Chief of Staff, Others

The Federal High Court in Abuja has set aside the arrest warrant issued for Edison Ehie, the Chief of Staff to the Rivers State Governor, along with five other individuals. The ruling was delivered by Justice Emeka Nwite, who originally ordered the arrest on January 31, 2024, in connection with the alleged bombing of the Rivers State House of Assembly on October 30, 2023.

The police had accused Ehie and five others—Jinjiri Bala, Happy Benedict, Progress Joseph, Adokiye Oyagiri, and Chibuike Peter (also known as Rambo)—of orchestrating the bombing as part of a plot to impeach Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara.

However, Justice Nwite’s recent ruling described the arrest warrant as “a mere academic exercise,” indicating that the court had reconsidered the order due to insufficient grounds for the arrest. The court also granted relief to the other defendants listed in the case, noting the absence of proper jurisdiction and lack of compliance with procedural requirements.

Ehie’s legal team, consisting of senior advocates Falana SAN, Wole Oladoye SAN, Dr. Bimpe Ajegbomogun, and Barrister Asmau Yakubu, pointed out that their client was never formally invited for questioning by the police before his name appeared in four out of seven counts of murder and arson. They argued that the charges against Ehie were inconsistent with due process.

Additionally, Falana SAN and his team emphasized that the alleged crimes were state-level offences, making it improper for the Federal High Court in Abuja to exercise jurisdiction without the authorization of the Attorney General of Rivers State. Aladedoye, another lawyer involved in the case, highlighted that the proper venue for this case would be the courts in Rivers State, where the alleged incident took place.