A warrant for the arrest of Hon Edison Ehie, the Chief of Staff (CoS) to the Rivers State governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has been issued by a Federal High Court in Abuja.

The arrest warrant is based on Ehie’s alleged involvement in the burning of the State House of Assembly.

In addition to Ehie, the court also ordered the arrest of five other individuals based in Port Harcourt: Jinjiri Bala, Happy Benedict, Progress Joseph, Adokiye Oyagiri, and Chibuike Peter (also known as Rambo). These individuals are accused of participating in various criminal activities.

Justice Emeka Nwite granted the arrest order during the ruling on an ex-parte application brought by the Inspector General of Police. The application was filed based on relevant sections of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015, the 1999 Constitution, and the Police Act, 2020.

According to the application presented by a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and Deputy Commissioner of Police, Simon Lough, the defendants are at large and are alleged to have been involved in conspiracy, arson, terrorism, attempted murder, and the murder of a Superintendent of Police and five other police informants.

The court granted the request to declare the defendants wanted, and upon their arrest and investigation, they will be brought before the court for trial.

It is worth noting that two weeks ago, the Inspector General of Police put five Port Harcourt-based individuals on trial for terrorism charges. These individuals were remanded in Kuje Prison pending the determination of their bail applications, scheduled for February 2. They were accused of invading, vandalizing, and burning down the Rivers State House of Assembly during the political crisis in Port Harcourt in October of the previous year.