Court restrains suspended Edo lawmakers

A Benin High Court has restrained the four lawmakers suspended on Monday by the Edo State House of Assembly from gaining entrance into the premises of the Assembly and the legislative quarters.

The suspended lawmakers are Hon Festus Ebea, Hon Patrick Osayimwen, Hon Jude Ise-Idehen and Hon Friday Ogieriakhi.

The court also restrained the suspended lawmakers, the Assistant Inspector-General of Police Zone 5, Benin City and the Commissioner of Police, Edo State from interfering with the Sitting activities and other functions of the state Assembly pending the determination of a motion on Notice before it.

Ruling yesterday on a motion exparte brought before it by Rt Hon Uyi Igbe, Speaker, Edo State House of Assembly; Hon Phillips Shaibu, Majority Leader, Edo State House of Assembly and the Edo State House of Assembly, the Claimants/ Applicants against Hon Festus Ebea, Hon Patrick Osayimwen, Hon Jude Ise-Idehen, Hon Friday Ogieriakhi, the Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Zone 5, Benin City and Commissioner of Police, Edo State who are Defendants/Respondents, Justice V. O Eboreime ordered substituted service of the origination summons on the suspended legislators by advertisement in a national newspaper and a local newspaper within 48 hours.

In a suit no B/70/OS/2014 the Speaker, Rt. Hon Uyi Igbe and two others had gone to court to seek to seek “an order of interim injunction restraining the four Defendants buy themselves or agents, assigns, privies or other persons acting for, through or by them from forcibly gaining entrance into the premises and legislative quarters of the Edo State House of Assembly or however interfering with the Sitting activities and other functions of the 3rd Claimants pending the determination of the Motion on Notice.”

The Applicants also sought an order of substituted service of the originating summons and other processes in the matter on the suspended legislators by advertisement in a national newspaper and a local newspaper.

Justice Eboreime adjourned the case to 23rd June, 2014 for hearing of the Motion on Notice.

The Applicants were represented in Court by Gabriel Oladejo, esq, while Ferdinand Orbih (SAN) represented the suspended lawmakers.

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Court restrains suspended Edo lawmakers