From Tony John, Port Harcourt
A Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, has restrained Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, from enforcing compulsory vaccination orders on people of the state.
The trial judge, Justice Adamu Turaki Mohammed, gave the order yesterday, following motions filed in Suit No. FHC/PH/FHR/266/2021, by Mr. Charles Osaretin, on Monday, against the Edo state governor and five others, seeking that status quo be maintained pending determination of the suit.
Obaseki had mandated the residents of Edo to compulsorily get vaccinated for COVID-19 or risk denial of access to church, worship centres, banks and other public services in the State.
Earlier in his argument, counsel to the applicants, Echezona Etiaba, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), urged the court to order parties to maintain status quo, pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice for the enforcement of the applicant’s fundamental rights and for the leave of court to serve the respondents by publishing the court processes in a national daily.
The orders were granted as prayed, as the judge directed that court processes be placed in the national daily.
The matter was adjourned till September 10, 2021, for hearing of the substantive motion.