A Court of Appeal sitting in Port Harcourt has set aside a warrant of arrest order against the former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, the Rivers State governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Tonye Cole; a former Commissioner for Power, Augustine Wokocha; and three others.
Recall that a High Court in Port Harcourt presided over Justice Chinwedu Nwogu on May 17, 2023, and issued the arrest order in a criminal suit bothering on the sale of state assets by the Rivers State Government against the defendants.
The defendants had approached the Appeal Court to challenge the ruling of the High Court.
A three-man panel led by Justice Joseph Ikyegh, in a unanimous judgement on the applications, said the High Court of Rivers State was wrong to have proceeded in the matter even when the process had already been challenged at the appeal court.
While setting aside the warrant of arrest order issued against Amaechi and his co-defendants, the Appeal Court faulted the process of effecting service on them.
Speaking to newsmen outside the courtroom, one of the counsels to Amaechi, Cole, and the others, Achinike Wobodo-Williams expressed delight at the ruling.
Wonodo-Williams said the judgement has put an end to the wrongdoings of the Rivers State government under former Governor Nyesom Wike.
Credit: Punch