Rivers LG dispute: Court orders substituted service on IGP, AGF

By Jude Opara

A Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt has granted an ex parte application allowing the service of court documents to the Inspector General of Police, (IGP), and the Attorney General of the Federation, (AGF) through substituted means.
The court also permitted serving the State Commissioner of Police through the Officer in Charge (OC) Legal, State CID, Rivers State.
In a suit brought by the Initiative for Transparency, Strategy and Good Leadership, the court also issued an ex parte order to serve the Attorney General of Rivers State, the Governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara and the Head of Service through substituted means by delivering court documents to the Attorney General’s office.
The defendants are required to appear and explain why the ex parte orders for the police to vacate the Rivers State local government council entrances across the 23 LGAs should not be granted.
Earlier, N.O. Onyilokwu and Clarissa C. Chibuike appeared before the court as parties seeking to join the matter on behalf of 21 former local government chairmen.
The case involves the Initiative for Transparency, Strategy and Good Leadership and an indigene of Rivers State, JOSHUA RUFUS, who are seeking relief against the IGP, the Commissioner of Police in Rivers State, and the Attorney General of the Federation.
Other defendants include the Attorney General of Rivers State, the Governor of Rivers State, and the Head of Service.
The claimants are seeking a court order directing the IGP to instruct the Police to vacate the local government council secretariats to facilitate normal business activities.
It would be recalled that, following the granting of the application by the presiding Judge, Justice Muhammed Turaki, the court has adjourned the case to September 2, 2024.