The federal government has charged four individuals from Port Harcourt with terrorism after they reportedly invaded, destroyed, and burned down the Rivers State House of Assembly last year.
The defendants, believed to be Siminalaye Fubara followers from Rivers State, are accused of committing terrorism crimes during the political upheaval that rocked Port Harcourt in October last year.
Their names are Chima Eguma Ezebalike, Prince Lukman Oladele, Kenneth Goodluck Kpasa, Osiga Donald, and Ochueja Thankgod.
Although Hon Edison Ehie, the immediate previous factional Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, was named in the 7-count terrorism indictment, he is believed to be at large with other suspects.
The four accused terrorism suspects who have been detained by the police’s anti-terrorism branch at the Force Headquarters in Abuja are scheduled to be arraigned in the Federal High Court today.
The complainant in the accusations against them, marked FHC/ABJ/CR/25/2024, received by our correspondent is the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun.
Aside from reportedly burning down the State House of Assembly, some of them were accused of killing a Superintendent of Police, (SP) Bako Agbashim, and five police informants in the state’s Ahoada district.
Charles Osu, Ogbonna Eja, Idaowuka Felix, Paul Victor Chibuogu, and Saturday Edi are reported to have been killed while working as police informants.
They were also accused of utilizing different cult groups, including the Supreme Viking Confraternity, Degbam, Iceland, and Greenland, to wreak havoc on the state’s people and business interests.
Simon Lough, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), has been tasked with leading the prosecution team before Justice Bolaji Olajuwon of the Federal High Court in Abuja today.
On October 29, 2023, they are accused of conspiring to commit acts of terrorism by wilfully destroying public property by invading, attacking, destroying, and burning the Rivers State House of Assembly, an offense punishable under Section 26 of the Terrorism Prevention and Prohibition Act 2022.
Part of the charges read, “That you, Chime Eguma Ezebalike, 37 years, business man of Street 5, Radio Estate Ozuoba, Port Harcourt, Prince Lukman Oladele, 47 years of Okocha Street, Port Harcourt, Kenneth Goodluck Kpasa, Hon Edison Ehie and others now at large on 29th of October 2023 at Moscow Road in Port Harcourt, while acting in concert conspired together to commit felony to wit: acts of terrorism by wilful destruction of public properties by invading, attacking, destroying and burning of the Rivers State House of Assembly and you thereby committed an offence punishable under section 26 (1) of the Terrorism Prevention and Prohibition Act 2022.
“That you Chime Eguma Ezebalike, 37 years, business man of Street 5, Radio Estate Ozuoba, Port Harcourt, Prince Lukman Oladele, 47 years of Okocha Street, Port Harcourt, Kenneth Goodluck Kpasa, Hon Edison Ehie and others now at large on 29th of October 2023 at Moscow Road in Port Harcourt, while acting in concert and armed with dynamite, iron rods, lighters and other offensive weapons willfully and maliciously invaded, attacked and set fire on the Rivers State House of Assembly Complex and you thereby committed an offence punishable under section 1 of the Miscellaneous Offences Act, Cap M17 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.
Their arraignment is scheduled to take place before Justice Bolaji Olajuwon of Abuja’s Federal High Court.
