Jonathan Nwokpor
Four individuals from Port Harcourt have been charged with terrorism by the federal government for allegedly breaking into, vandalizing, and setting fire to the Rivers State House of Assembly last year.
The defendants, who are thought to be supporters of Rivers State governor Siminalaye Fubara, are charged with terrorist-related offences following the political unrest that shook Port Harcourt in October of last year.
They are Ochueja Thankgod, Osiga Donald, Kenneth Goodluck Kpasa, Prince Lukman Oladele, and Chima Eguma Ezebalike.
Despite being listed in the seven-count terrorism accusations, Hon. Edison Ehie, the factional Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, is reportedly at large with other suspects.
The four accused terrorists who have been detained by the police’s anti-terrorism unit at Force Headquarters in Abuja are scheduled to appear in court at the Federal High Court in Abuja today.
The Inspector General of Police (IGP), who received the charges against them with the file number FHC/ABJ/CR/25/2024, names Kayode Egbetokun as the complainant.
In addition to allegedly setting the State House of Assembly on fire, some of them were reported to have murdered five police informants and Superintendent of Police (SP) Bako Agbashim in the state’s Ahoada community.
Charles Osu, Saturday Edi, Ogbonna Eja, Idaowuka Felix, and Paul Victor Chibuogu are the police informants who are rumoured to have died.
They were also charged with causing chaos for the state’s citizens and their business endeavours by utilizing a number of cult organizations, including the Supreme Viking Confraternity, Degbam, Iceland, and Greenland.
Simon Lough, a Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), has been assigned to head the prosecution team in front of Justice Bolaji Olajuwon of the Federal High Court in Abuja today.
They are specifically accused of planning to carry out acts of terrorism on October October 29, 2023, at Moscow Road in Port Harcourt by deliberately attacking, destroying, and setting fire to the Rivers State House of Assembly. This offence is punishable under section 26 of the Terrorism Prevention and Prohibition Act 2022.
Part of the charges read, “That you, Chime Eguma Ezebalike, 37 years, a businessman 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 October 29, 2023, at Moscow Road in Port Harcourt, while acting in concert conspired together to commit felony to wit: acts of terrorism by the 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, a businessman 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 October 29 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.
It is anticipated that Justice Bolaji Olajuwon of the Federal High Court in Abuja will perform their arraignment.
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