George Onyejiuwa, Owerri
Justice Eze Ohiri Njamenze of the Imo State High Court 2, Owerri on Tuesday slammed an interim order restraining the ex-council chairmen, their vice, councillors and agents from further forcefully invading various local governments in Imo State.
It would be recalled that on Monday the suspended council chairmen, their vice and councillors allegedly forcefully invaded the local government councils in a bid to take over power following the Supreme Court judgement delivered in favour of the sacked council chairmen in Ekiti State.
The state Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Nnawuchi Ndukwe (SAN) had brought an ex-parte motion before the court against the ex- chairmen, their vice and councillors praying the court to issue an interim order restraining them and their agents from further resorting to self help in their bid to forcefully take over power while the matter was still pending before the court.
Ndukwe had argued that the court should grant their prayer by issuing an intern order restraining the respondents whom he said had already served, from further act of invading the local government councils.
He told the court that: “While the matter was still pending in this court, respondents invaded the local government headquarters with thugs armed with dangerous items; that is an affront on constituted authority. The court will be reduced to a toothless bulldog if such recklessness is allowed; the state could be plunged into chaos.
He added “It is also criminal and a treasonable felony to take over government forcefully without following the due process of law especially when the respondents have already submitted to the jurisdiction of this honourable”.
Justice Njemanze who granted the prayer of the state government said: “That the affidavits of the plaintiff has shown the urgency of the application which is to avert plunging the state into chaos; that the respondents with hired thugs had gone to the LGAs in spite of the pendency of the substantive case before this court which is coming on January 28, 2020. The respondents are hereby restrained by themselves, agents, privies in trying to resort to self-help and all parties should maintain the status quo from the date of the dissolution of the local government councils.”
He adjourned the matter for further hearing till January 28, 2020.