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Akinwande Soji-Ojo
A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has remanded some supporters of River State Governor in kuje prison for their alleged involvement in the explosion that rocked and razed the state House of Assembly complex.
An explosion had rocked the assembly complex amid alleged moves by some lawmakers to impeach Governor Siminalayi Fubara on October 30, 2023 in the wake of the political crisis that rocked the state.
Some supporters of the governor were said to have been behind the incident.
Five of them were arraigned on Thursday before Justice Bolaji Olajuwon of the Federal High Court in Abuja.
Those arraigned include Chime Eguma Ezebalike, Prince Lukman Oladele, Kenneth Goodluck Kpasa, Osiga Donald and Ochueja Thankgod.
The defendants were arraigned on seven count-charge bordering on alleged terrorism offences, invading, vandalising and burning down Rivers State House of Assembly.
They were also accused of killing a Superintendent of Police, Bako Agbashim, and five police informants in Ahoada community of the state.
The police informants they were accused of killing are Charles Osu, Ogbonna Eja, Idaowuka Felix, Paul Victor Chibuogu, and Saturday Edi.
They were also accused of using various cult groups, namely Supreme Viking Confraternity, Degbam, Iceland, and Greenland to unleash mayhem on the people of the state.
The suspects all pleaded not guilty to the allegations.
They were subsequently remanded in prison custody till February 2, when their respective bail applications will be determined by the judge.
Although the immediate past factional Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Hon Edison Ehie, was not listed as defendant in the seven counts terrorism charges, he was, however, represented in court by a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Oluwole Aladedoyin, on the ground that his name featured prominently in the alleged offences.
He challenged the allegations that he was at large alongside other suspects.
However, Justice Olajuwon did not allow further arguments on the ground that he was not yet a defendant in the charges.
Shortly after the suspects arraignment, the leader of the prosecuting team, Audu Garba, applied for a date for a full trial of the defendants.
But counsel for Chime Eguma Ezebalike and Prince Lukman Oladele, the 1st and 2nd defendants, Lukman Fagbemi (SAN), sought to move applications for their bail on the ground that they have been in police custody since last year.
Garba vehemently opposed the bail applications, saying he had just been served and needed time to study them and file a counter affidavit.
Justice Olajuwon agreed with the prosecution counsel that the bail applications were not ripe for hearing and fixed February 2 for the hearing of all the bail applications.
Pending hearing and determination of the bail applications, the judge ordered that the five defendants be remanded in Kuje prison and be brought to court on the adjourned date.
“The defendants are hereby remanded pending the hearing and determination of the bail applications,” he said.