I thought they said the courts are useless??? MURDER: Court stops re-arrest of Ekiti APC leaders By Gbenga Ariyibi A Federal High Court sitting in Jos, the Plateau State, capital, has restrained the police from re-arresting the State Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Chief Jide Awe, and four other members over alleged murder of Ayo Jeje and Juliana Adewumi during a political crisis in Erinjiyan-Ekiti, Ekiti State. Others granted relief are Faboro Ojo John, Aniramu Basiru, Falayi Busuyi and Owonifari Sefiu. Defendants are the Inspector General of Police, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Plateau State Commissioner of Police and Ekiti State Commissioner of Police. In a motion under the enforcement of their fundamental rights and fundamental rights enforcement procedure brought before Justice A. Lewis-Allagoa, the plaintiffs in suit no. FHC/J/CS/102/2014 prayed the court to declare as unconstitutional the planned and threatened re-arrest, detention and arraignment in connection with the fact leading to their previous arrest and arraignment for the murder. Ruling on the exparte motion, Lewis-Allagoa granted all the reliefs sought by the applicants pending the determination of the originating motion on notice before the court. He ordered the motion to be served on the respondents not less than seven days before the hearing of the Originating Motion on Notice and adjourned the matter to December 3, 2014 for hearing. Meanwhile, the Publicity Secretary of APC, Taiwo Olatubosun, has praised the ruling by the court, saying the judiciary remains the last hope of the people, noting that this ruling would have been unnecessary if not because of the state of siege the country has found itself. APC lawmakers fail to resume sitting The embattled APC lawmakers in Ekiti State House of Assembly yesterday failed to resume their legislative duties at the state House of Assembly, just as the purported speaker Dele Olugbemi blasted the Nigeria Speaker’s Forum for condemning the process which resulted in Omirin’s alleged impeachment. Olugbemi who spoke in Ado Ekiti yesterday, cautioned the forum against dabbling into what he described as purely internal problem of Ekiti lawmakers. In a related development,the embattled Speaker, Hon Adewale Omirin has said the APC lawmakers are staying away from the assembly because the state was not safe for them. “We will only resume when the coast is clear,nobody is ready to lose his life.’’ Omirin who spoke through a telephone yesterday said he got an information that the state government intends to eliminate two or three of their members “We were duly informed they are targeting two or three of our members, they wish to do that so that they will reduce our number in order to could conduct bye election where they could have majority in the assembly.’’ On the implication of staying outside the state beyond the stipulated number of days by the House Rule, ,Omirin said the House has a right to regulate its rule. Olugbemi says he remains speaker But speaking with newsmen in Ado Ekiti, yesterday, Olugbemi said he remained the authentic speaker of the assembly, adding that he was dully elected by 10 of the 26 members of the assembly having impeached Omirin. He said: “The so called speakers forum is a committee of friends, a speaker in Edo or Sokoto or anywhere in the country cannot dictate to us in Ekiti Assembly who to elect as the speaker. “They have to recognise me, if they don’t recognise me, I will stop the money that go from here to the forum. Anyway, we are not aware that they said so.” Olugbemi, while justifying his election, said the issue of election of the speaker does not require any specific number adding that nine forms the quorum for sitting. “Section 11 of the Standing Order of the house allows one third to be the quorum of the house. Section 10 of the 1999 constitution as amended empowers the house to suspend the standing order at any time to discuss a serious issue,” he said. On the suit filed by APC to challenge Omirin’s removal, Olugbemi said they are ready to defend themselves. Meanwhile, the premises of the House was devoid of the presence of security men when our correspondent visited.
Posted on: Tue, 25 Nov 2014 05:57:47 +0000
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