The Federal High Court in Benin City yesterday ordered the National Working Committee (NWC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC), the Inspector-General of Police, the Commissioner of Police in Edo State, Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu, all defendants, their servants and agents, not to interfere, disrupt or obstruct the constitutional duties of members of the Edo House of Assembly.
In the court documents obtained yesterday, the presiding judge, M. G. Umar, ordered: “That an interim order of injunction is hereby granted restraining the defendants by themselves, their servants, agents, officers or privies from interfering with, obstructing or harassing, in any manner whatsoever, the plaintiffs in the performance of their constitutional duties as the legislative arm of the Edo State Government pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice for interlocutory injunction.
“That an interim order of injunction is further granted restraining the first defendant, his servants, agents, officers or privies from further publishing in any newspaper or other media, any inciting publications concerning the inauguration of the seventh Assembly of the Edo State House Assembly and the election of the Speaker and Deputy Speaker which took place on June 17, 2019 in the Edo State House of Assembly.
“That interim order of injunction is also granted restraining the defendants by themselves, their servants, agents, officers or privies from further committing any act aimed at disparaging the integrity of the legislative arm of the Edo State Government and/or destabilising the peace, order and good governance of Edo State in general, pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice for interlocutory injunction.”
The orders followed prayers in an ex-parte motion of the plaintiffs/applicants Alhaji Yahaya Omogbai, the Clerk of Edo State House of Assembly and the Edo State Government, filed on June 28, 2019.
The case was adjourned to October 9, 2019.
With these orders, the legal coast is clear for the inaugurated Edo State House of Assembly to continue its law-making function.