Court stops Edo govt from prosecuting Oshiomhole

AFederal High Court in Abuja yesterday restrained the Edo State Government from arresting and prosecuting the national chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Adams Oshiomhole, over an indictment in a white paper submitted to the state government.

Justice Ahmed Mohammed directed all parties to the suit not take any action against Oshiomhole pending the determination of the issue of jurisdiction.

The Edo State Attorney-General and Commissioner of Justice, Justice J. Oyomire; the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu and the Department of State Services were named as respondents in the suit.

A panel of inquiry, headed by Oyomire, had, in a white paper, indicted Oshiomhole for corruption, and recommended his arrest and prosecution.

Oshiomhole had, in an ex parte motion, through his lawyer, West

Idahosa, asked the court to stop his arrest and prosecution on account of the white paper.

But the Edo State Government, through its lawyer, Alex Ejesieme, approached the court with a preliminary objection to stop the ex parte order from being granted.

Ejesieme had earlier objected to the hearing of the case by the court on the ground that the court has no jurisdiction to hear the matter.

The court yesterday held that ''An interim order is hereby made restraining the prosecution of the applicant pursuant to the report submitted to the 1st to 3rd respondents or any white paper, pending the determination of the issue of jurisdiction raised in the 1st to 4th respondents notice preliminary objection''.

The court also directed Oshiomhole's counsel to serve all the respondents his processes within 48 hours.

The case was adjourned to June 17 for hearing.