5 suspects charged for alleged terrorism in connection with Rivers House of Assembly

News Agency Of Nigeria 10:40 - 25 January 2024

Bulldozers pull down Rivers State House of Assembly Complex on December 13, 2023 [ChannelsTV]

The five suspected persons who allegedly burnt the Rivers House of Assembly on October 29, 2023, were, on Thursday, arraigned at a Federal High Court, Abuja on a seven-count charge bordering on terrorism.

The five suspected persons who allegedly burnt the Rivers House of Assembly on October 29, 2023, were, on Thursday, arraigned at a Federal High Court, Abuja on a seven-count charge bordering on terrorism.

The five suspects were arraigned before Justice Bolaji Olajuwon by the police in charge marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/25/2024.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that while the Inspector-General (I-G) is the complainant, Chime Ezebalike, 37; Prince Oladele, 47; Kenneth Goodluck Kpasa, 40; Osiga Donald, 42; Ochueja Thankgod, 35, are 1st to 5th defendants respectively.

The police alleged that the defendants, alongside Hon Edison Ehie, former factional speaker of the assembly loyal to Gov Siminalayi Fubara with others at large committed the offence.

NAN reports that Ehie, representing Ahoada East Constituency, had, in December, resigned as a member of the Rivers State House of Assembly, as well as the speaker of the minority lawmakers.

The resignation was said to be part of the agreements reached in the bid to reconcile Fubara and former Governor Nyesom Wike, now the FCT Minister.