20 March 2014, Warri – A Federal High Court sitting in Warri, Delta State, has restrained the Inspector General of Police and his agents from further arresting Chief Thomas Ereyitomi and four others, over alleged misappropriation of N576 million belonging to the Ugborodo Community Trust Fund, UCT, in Ugborodo, Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta State.
Ereyitomi, along with Isaac Botosan, Benson Babine, Helen Oritsemotosan and Daniel Imami, have been on trial since 2012 for allegedly withdrawing the money from the UCT Fund and converting same to personal use while serving as executives of the Governing Council of the Trust between 2008 and 2011.
In his ruling in the suit, trail judge, Justice Mohammed Abubakar, said the charge was incompetent and struck out same, having been filed in breach of an existing order of same court by another judge, Justice Ibrahim Buba, who on June 28, 2012, restrained the police from harassing or arresting the accused on the matter.
He said he was competent to vacate an earlier ruling or order of the same court on the same matter.
Meanwhile, the civil suit on Ugborodo leadership tussle between David Tonwe and Chief Ereyitomi, both factions in the current Ugborodo conflict, is still pending before the court.
– Vanguard