A Magistrate's Court in Okehi, Rivers State, was also set ablaze by suspected arsonists. Sources said that they suspected that the fire was caused by the arsonists to destroy vital court documents.
The Ahoada High Court presided over by Justice Charles Wali, was due Monday to hear a motion seeking to vacate an order of the court, which restrained the lawmaker representing Ogu-Bolo, Evans Bipi, from parading himself as the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly.
The explosion caused an extensive damage to a section of the court, which the Ahoada Branch of the Nigeria Bar Association uses as its secretariat.
Due to the incident, a detachment of the Joint Task Force (JTF) was deployed on the premises of the court. While awaiting the police in Ahoada to bring their anti-bomb disposal unit, the security personnel barred lawyers, litigants other persons from entering a particular section of the court premises where an unexploded bomb substance was found wrapped in a black package.
A lawyer, who identified himself as Mr. Chimenem Jerome, said the incident, which was the second explosion to rock the court since the judge issued an order restraining Bipi from parading himself as the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, caused the workers to flee the court premises.
"It is expected that in this era of Boko Haram and explosives here and there in the country going unchecked, everybody is afraid. Lawyers are afraid. The workers in court too are leaving the premises. So we are all outside the court. Only the policemen are in strategic areas," he said.
The head of the state Police Command's Anti-bomb Squad, Taiwo Akingbeni, who confirmed the explosion, told journalists in Port Harcourt yesterday that some of the explosive materials they found on the Ahoada court premises were not enough to cause injury or death. He said that the explosive materials were merely intended to cause panic.
The Rivers State chapter of the PDP which has condemned the bombing of the Ahoada High Court, said it suspected that the action was carried out by agents of the Rivers State government to prevent the court from sitting, so as not to vacate the interim order made by the Justice Charles Wali.
In a statement in Port Harcourt, the Special Adviser to the state party Chairman on Media, Jerry Needam, accused the judge of turning his court to a ministerial department of the state governor's office to issue all manner of orders in favour of Governor Rotimi Amaechi and subvert the course of justice.
The party said: "The case that temporarily restrained Hon. Evans Bipi from parading as Speaker, Rivers State House of Assembly was to come up today at the Ahoada high Court. Our team of lawyers made up of over 10 Senior Advocates of Nigeria from Abuja and Lagos arrived at the Ahoada High Court this morning to argue for the vacation of the interim order, and saw the senseless and barbaric destruction of the court."
Needam alleged that the aim of bombing the Ahoada High Court was to further create a state of insecurity in the state, to justify the continuous call for the removal of the commissioner of police. He said the PDP wished to remind Amaechi and his agents that the interim order issued by Justice Charles Wali lasted for only seven days, and it had since expired.
"The PDP condemns Rotimi Amaechi's desperation for power and assures that Amaechi would be held responsible for any breakdown of law and order in Rivers State. PDP urges Rivers people to remain calm and continue to pray for an end to Rotimi Amaechi's government that has brought so much pain, shame and disgrace to a people he swore to govern," he said.
But the APC has blamed the PDP for the explosion. The party said those that perpetrated this heinous act might not be far from those who were not comfortable with the ruling of Justice Wali, on December 16, 2013 barring Bipi from parading himself as Speaker of the Assembly.
APC spokesperson, Chukwuemeka Eze, said it was on record that the Rivers State PDP had over the time condemned this ruling of the Ahoada East High Court because it frustrated its plot to use the rebel lawmakers led by Bipi to impeach Amaechi in a House of 32 members.
He said the record exposing the agenda of this "misguided group for Rivers State and her people as violence-prone" was exhibited a few days ago when security agencies in the state caught six youths with various sophisticated and dangerous arms at Ogu, the home town of Senator Abiye Sekibo and Bipi.
"All this notwithstanding, for the avoidance of doubt, we wish to state that this act of hooliganism and terrorism will not do Rivers State and its citizens any good. We therefore urge the security organs not to treat this issue with kid's glove but with all amount of seriousness unearth those behind this wicked act as God will not allow these enemies of democracy to turn Rivers State into a war zone. Rivers State people based on the wicked acts of the PDP-led Federal Government against Rivers State and her people have rejected PDP and they should accept their self-inflicted woes and allow peace to reign in the state," he said.
The state government said the bombing of the court could be linked to the Grassroots Development Initiative (GDI), the political platform of the Supervisory Minister of Education, Nyesom Wike.
The state Commissioner for Information and Communications, Mrs. Ibim Semenitari, told journalists in Port Harcourt yesterday that the bombing might have been done by Wike's supporters.
"The bombing and arson look like the handiwork of people who are close to the Supervising Minister of Education, Nyesom Wike and the member of the House of Assembly, representing Ogo-Bolu Constituency, Evans Bipi."
She further said: "Members of the GDI and the Peoples' Democratic Party, PDP, as it is currently constituted are those likely to be behind this sort of violence. You will recall that there was an explosion at the office of the Deputy Governor, Engr. Tele Ikuru, towards the end of the year. You know also that there was an explosion at the Abonema Wharf last year."
On his part, the Rivers State Attorney-General and Commissioner of Justice, Worgu Boms, said the bombing of the Ahoada court and the burning down of the Okehi court were actions designed to instill fear in the judiciary.
"This is worrisome. We need to remind the police that it is their duty to watch over Rivers State; the people of Rivers State and the property of the people of the Rivers State," he said.
Thanks
