Delta State: Court Restrain Police, Others from Arresting Ughievwen Monarchs
By Theophilus Onojeghe
A High Court Judge sitting in Effurun High Court 4, Honourable Justice J. E. Ikede has granted restraining order preventing the Nigerian Police and its privies from arresting any King in Delta State particularly in Ughievwe Kingdom not until the determination of a suit brought before it by the Monarchs of Ughievwen Kingdoms in Urhobo land.
The restraining order was against the backdrop of Governor of Delta State, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan directive that the Nigeria Police Force should arrest anyone illegally parading himself in the state as a king without government recognition.
Honourable Justice J. E Ikede of Effurun High Court 4, while granting the restraining order in August 28th in a case filed by HRM Thomson O. Apah, the Ovie of Ukpedi Kingdom, HRM David A. Okome, Ovie Orhowhe Kingdom and others said not until the determination of the case before it, the Inspector General of Police and his privies, Okobaro of Ughievwen, HRM Matthew Ediri Egbi JP and others are restrained from carrying out any form of arrest.
A copy of the restraining order obtained by our correspondent reads “I have gone through the Motion of Exparte, the affidavit in support, facts relied, and the annextures together with the written address to the application and the court hereby orders as follows;
“The respondent are hereby restrained by themselves, their agents, servants and/or privies whatsoever and howsoever described from intimidating, harassing, arrest and detaining the applicants pending the determination of the motion on notice.”
It would be recalled that applicants orchestrated the recent splitting of Ughievwen Kingdom into four kingdoms with six kings a situation Governor Uduaghan described as an unacceptable thereby ordering the arrest of anyone parading himself as king and their cohorts without government approval.
When contact, the Secretary Ughievwen Council of Chiefs, Chief Benson Itietie said their team of lawyers is currently examining on the case.
The case has been adjured till September 24, 2013 for further hearings.
