A Federal High Court in Abuja has scheduled April 25 for the ruling on an application by Edison Ehie, the Chief of Staff to the Rivers State Governor, and five others, seeking to set aside an arrest warrant issued against them.
Justice Emeka Nwite fixed the date on Monday after hearing arguments from both parties in the suit.
The defendants are facing charges for their alleged involvement in the burning of the Rivers State’s House of Assembly and attempted murder.
The defendants’ counsel requested the court to restrain the plaintiff from carrying out the arrest order, while the prosecution urged the court to dismiss the application.
The defendants were arraigned before Justice Bolaji Olajuwon of the Federal High Court in Abuja on 7-count charges in a separate suit marked FHC/ABJ/CR/25/2024.
The court had granted an arrest warrant request to the police on January 31, following an application from the Inspector General of Police.
Counsel to the defendants, Femi Falana, SAN, and Mr. Oluwole Aladedoye, SAN, filed motions asking the court to set aside the arrest warrant and to restrain the police from carrying out the order pending the determination of the case.
Aladedoye, representing the Chief of Staff, argued that the police never invited Ehie for questioning, questioning the validity of an order to arrest someone who was never invited for questioning.
He also raised jurisdictional issues, stating that the court had no jurisdiction to entertain the matter as the incident happened in Rivers State.
He argued that the police should have filed the case in the judicial division where the alleged offence was committed.
Falana, representing the other defendants, argued that without a valid and pending charge, a warrant of arrest cannot be issued.
He urged the court to set aside the ex-parte order made on January 31.
The prosecution counsel, however, prayed the court to dismiss the application for a stay of execution of the January 31 order, arguing that the application was not in accordance with the rules of the court.
After hearing submissions from all parties, Justice Nwite adjourned the ruling until April 25.
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