Rivers State House of Assembly Exceeded its bound – Justice Frank Onyiri

Hon. Justice Frank Onyiri of the Rivers State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt on Friday October 30, 2026 nullified the order of the Rivers State House of Assembly made on the 25th day of September for the arrest of the Vice Chancellor of the PAMO University of Medical Sciences, Port Harcourt for failure to appear before its ad hoc committee. Giving judgement in an enforcement of fundamental rights application brought before him by Professor Smith Jaja against the breach of his fundamental rights by the Rivers State House of Assembly, the Court upheld the entitlement of the applicant to have his fundamental rights under the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights protected. He nullified the orders made against the applicant by the Rivers House of Assembly, holding that the setting up of a committee to investigate the employer of the applicant purportedly under section 128 of the Constitution after the Appropriation Act 2026 had been passed and signed was a sham. He held that Assembly has no power to indict or adjudicate on the guilt of any person but only to investigate and receive evidence for, and only, for the purpose of section 128 of the Constitution. The Court issued an order of perpetual injunction restraining the House of Assembly, the police or any security agency from in any way interfering with the rights of the Applicant. He made an order of damages against the Rivers State House of Assembly in the sum of N2 million to be paid to the applicant. At the conclusion of the judgement which lasted for about 90 minutes both lawyers of the parties, Dr. C.A.J. Chinwo and M.S. Agu who stood in for E.C. Ukala, SAN commended the judge for his industry and erudite judgment.