Explosion rocks Rivers State High Court
An explosion rocked the Rivers State High Court, Ahoda,
premises, in the early hours of yesterday, though no casualty
was recorded in the blast. The Nigerian Bar Association,
NBA, building was partially affected in the incident.
The court was to have heard the application by the factional
Speaker of Rivers State House of Assembly, Evans Bipi, for
the vacation of an interim order granted by the court,
restraining him from parading himself as Speaker.
A second blast, was, averted, following the intervention of the
bomb squad of the Police, which isolated the second device,
concealed in a black cellophane bag.
Meanwhile, a fire incident at another River State High Court,
Okehi, yesterday, affected the judge's office. Some
documents and furniture were also destroyed in the fire. When
contacted on the incident, the state Police Public Relations
Officer, Mr. Ahmad Muhammad, said he was aware of the
fire, adding that no life was lost. He said that the Police was
investigating the incident.
Ahoada blast
On the Ahoda incident, Muhammad said: "We received a
report that an object suspected to be explosive was sighted at
the premises of the state High Court, Ahoada. Our anti- bomb
squad was dispatched to make it safe. One unexploded
improvised explosive device, IED, was recovered and
rendered safe while traces of an exploded IED were identified.
"At the end of the operation, it was established that two IEDs
were thrown into the premises from outside. The two were
initiated, but one went off while the other failed to go off due
to technical error. The exploded IED caused a minor damage
to court building. Neither death nor injury was recorded.
Considering the strength of the materials used in making the
devices, they were very weak and couldn't have caused severe
harm.
"Investigation into the incident has commenced with a view to
apprehending the perpetrators." he added.
Rep condemns Okehi fire incident
Meantime, the member representing Etche Omuma
constituency in the House of Representatives, Mr. Ogbona
Nwuke, has condemned the fire incident at the state High
Court, Okehi, Etche Local Government Area of the state,
saying that it was the handiwork of enemies of democracy.
"My immediate reaction was that enemies of democracy are at
work. Those who do not want to respect the rights of others,
those who do not believe in the rule of law and those who
have no regard for people's lives are at work," he said.
He called on security agencies to fish out those behind the act.
"The law enforcement agencies should apprehend these
faceless persons, who for political reasons, think that the best
thing to do is to turn Rivers State into an environment of
terror. This is the worst thing that should happen in this
country.
"The law enforcement agents should protect the interest of the
common man, which the judicial process represents," he said.
Some staff of the court, who spoke to Vanguard on the
explosion at Ahoada, said it occurred before they resumed for
the day's work.
Residents, who live close to the premises of the court, said the
night before, they heard an explosion at the canteen in the
court premises operated by the Ahoada Branch of the NBA.
Media aide to Chairman of Ahoada East Local Government
Area, Kassidy Ikegbidi, Blessed Oyagiri, who spoke to
Vanguard on the incident, said it was discovered this morning
(yesterday) that the canteen of the Ahoada Branch of the NBA
at the state High Court, Ahoda, was destroyed.
"We contacted the police, who drafted an anti-bomb unit and
confirmed that dynamite was employed in the blast. The state
High Court itself was not affected. I suspect those who carried
out the blast were not property briefed on the real target by
the masterminds, but the damage was enough to shut the court
as police continued investigation," Oyagiri said.
The council boss condemned the incident and warned the
Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Rivers State against
playing politics with the judiciary.
Ikegbidi, who described the incident as barbaric and
uncivilized, said: "The Judiciary is not the property of PDP,
but a property of all Nigerians. It is very wrong for any right
thinking individual or group to attack the judiciary, which is
the last hope of the common man in the name of politics."
It was gathered from workers in the court premises that if the
second explosive had gone off, it would have had more
devastating effect on vehicles and probably claimed lives
because it was dropped at the car park, where most people
would have left their vehicles.
The court, meanwhile, could not sit, yesterday, because of the
incident. The workers said there was still tension in the air
even after the police had scanned the whole area.
However, All Progressives Congress, APC, and Peoples
Democratic Party, PDP in the state, have engaged in a war of
words over the incident. Interim Chairman of APC, Mr
Davies Ikanya, in a statement, said that those behind the act
were allegedly uncomfortable with the recent ruling of Justice
Charles Wali of the state High Court ordering Bipi to stop
parading himself as Speaker of Rivers State House of
Assembly.
He said: "It is very unfortunate and sad to note that the state
High Court in Ahoada, was bombed this morning (yesterday)
by agents of undemocratic elements. Those that perpetrated
this act may not be far from those who are not comfortable
with the ruling by Justice Wali, of December 16, 2013 barring
Bipi, leader of the G6 rebel members of the Rivers State
House of Assembly, from parading himself as Speaker of the
Assembly."
On its part, PDP, in its statement, blamed those allegedly
against the High Court sitting to reverse its decision on Bipi
as being behind the explosion.
State Chairman of the party, Mr Felix Obuah, said those
behind the explosion at the state High Court, Ahoada, also
wanted to create a picture of an insecure Rivers State.
"The case that temporarily restrained Bipi from parading
himself as Speaker, Rivers State House of Assembly, was to
come up today (yesterday) at the court. Our team of lawyers
made up of over 10 Senior Advocates of Nigeria from Abuja
and Lagos arrived the state high court, Ahoda, this morning
(yesterday) to argue for the vacation of the interim order, and
saw the senseless and barbaric destruction of the court.
"The PDP makes bold to suspect that the reported bombing
was carried out by agents of Rivers State Government to
prevent the court from sitting, so that the court would not be
able to vacate the interim order made by Justice Wali."