Rivers Crisis: Fubara’s Alleged Loyalists To Appear In Abuja Court Today, Face Terrorism Charges

The federal government has charged four men from Port Harcourt with terrorism for their alleged involvement in invading, vandalizing, and setting fire to the Rivers State House of Assembly last year.

The accused individuals, suspected to be supporters of Governor Siminalayi Fubara in Rivers State, are accused of committing these terrorism offences during a period of political turmoil in Port Harcourt in October of the previous year.

The individuals facing terrorism charges are Chima Eguma Ezebalike, Prince Lukman Oladele, Kenneth Goodluck Kpasa, Osiga Donald, and Ochueja Thankgod.

While the former factional Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Hon Edison Ehie, is implicated in the 7-count terrorism charges, he, along with other suspects, is reportedly at large.

The four accused of terrorism have been held in the custody of the anti-terrorism department at the Police Force Headquarters in Abuja. They are scheduled to be presented in court today at the Federal High Court in Abuja.

The charges against them, identified as FHC/ABJ/CR/25/2024 and obtained by a Daily Post correspondent, list the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, as the complainant.

In addition to the alleged act of burning down the State House of Assembly, some of the accused are also implicated in the killing of Superintendent of Police (SP) Bako Agbashim and five police informants in the Ahoada community of the state.

The police informants reported to have been killed include Charles Osu, Ogbonna Eja, Idaowuka Felix, Paul Victor Chibuogu, and Saturday Edi.

Additionally, the accused individuals are charged with employing various cult groups, namely the Supreme Viking Confraternity, Degbam, Iceland, and Greenland, to cause chaos among the people of the state and disrupt their commercial activities.

The prosecution team, led by Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Simon Lough, is set to present the case before Justice Bolaji Olajuwon at the Federal High Court in Abuja today.

The charges specify that on October 29, 2023, at Moscow Road in Port Harcourt, the accused individuals allegedly conspired to commit acts of terrorism by willfully destroying public properties. This involved 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.

The formal presentation of charges and arraignment of the accused individuals is anticipated to take place before Justice Bolaji Olajuwon at the Federal High Court in Abuja.

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.”