Rivers Court Grants Ex-Parte Order Protecting Fubara’s CoS, Ehie, from Police Arrest

The Port Harcourt Division of the Rivers State High Court has issued an ex-parte order, barring the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies from arresting, detaining, or harassing Edison Ehie, the Chief of Staff to the Governor.

The order comes in response to a motion ex-parte filed by Ehie, seeking protection against potential arrest related to his alleged role in the burning of the Rivers State House of Assembly’s Hallowed Chambers last year. The court, under the leadership of Presiding Judge Sika Aprioku, granted the order and subsequently scheduled a hearing for the substantive application on February 6, 2024.

During the state’s political crisis, the Martin Amaewhule-led group had petitioned the police, urging the arrest, investigation, and prosecution of Ehie over suspicions of his involvement in the suspected arson at the House of Assembly Complex. The court’s intervention marks a temporary safeguard for Ehie, pending further examination of the case.