The trial of five loyalists of Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara on terrorism charges has been shifted to March 19 by the Federal High Court in Abuja.
The Court on Tuesday, shifted the trial following information by a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Lukman Fagbemi, SAN, that the Inspector General of Police filed a counter affidavit that raised serious issues against his clients.
The five men charged with terrorism offences by the IGP, are Chime Eguma Ezebalike; Prince Lukman Oladele; Kenneth Goodluck Kpasa; Osiga Donald and Ochueja Thankgod.
At Tuesday’s proceedings, Fagbemi told the court that he had filed a motion on notice challenging the competence of the terrorism charges and the territorial jurisdiction of the court to entertain the charge.
He, however, said that the Inspector General of Police responded to his motion through a counter affidavit that raised grievous allegations against his clients.
The senior lawyer submitted that the counter affidavit was served on him during the proceedings and that he needed time to study the affidavit and respond to it appropriately.
The Inspector General of Police, who was represented at the proceedings by Aliyu Garba, admitted that he served the counter affidavit opposing the application of Fagbemi in the courtroom.
Justice Mobolaji Olajuwon after checking the case file found that the copy of the counter affidavit had not been served on the court.
Based on the request of Fagbemi, Justice Olajuwon shifted the trial to March 19 with an order on parties to file and exchange processes before the date to ensure unhindered proceeding.
The Inspector General of Police IGP had on January 25 slammed the terrorism charges on them for allegedly invading, vandalizing and burning down Rivers State House of Assembly last year.
They were accused of committing the alleged terrorism offences during the wake of political upheaval that rocked Port Harcourt in October last year.
In the charges against them marked FHC/ABJ/CR/25/2024, police alleged that
apart from burning down the State House of Assembly, some of them were said to have killed a Superintendent of Police, (SP) Bako Agbashim and five police informants in the Ahoada community of the state.
The police informants said to have been killed by the defendants are Charles Osu, Ogbonna Eja, Idaowuka Felix, Paul Victor Chibuogu and Saturday Edi.
They are also accused of using various cult groups, namely- Supreme Viking Confraternity, Degbam, Iceland and Greenland to unleash mayhem on the people of the state and their commercial activities.
Specifically, they are alleged to have on October 29, 2023, at Moscow Road in Port Harcourt conspired to commit acts of terrorism by wilful destruction of public properties by invading, attacking, destroying and burning the Rivers State House of Assembly, an offence punishable under section 26 of the Terrorism Prevention and Prohibition Act 2022.
The defendants have since been at Kuje Prison in Abuja on remand having been denied bail by the court on account of gravity of charges against them.
