Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has asked a Federal High Court in Abuja to restrain the Inspector-General of Police, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Department of State Services (DSS) from conducting a search on his home.

Wike is praying the court to declare that the planned search would violate his constitutionally guaranteed immunity. He asked the court to determine whether Section 308 of the 1999 Constitution precludes the defendants from applying for, or obtaining any process of any court requiring or compelling his appearance.

Wike is also seeking a declaration that by virtue of the provisions of section 308 of the Constitution, the defendants or their agents cannot apply for, obtain, issue or in any way or manner howsoever execute any court process requiring his appearance.

The governor disclosed at a press conference in Port Harcourt that the defendants intend to raid his Abuja residence to incriminate him in an unspecified crime through the recovery of huge sums of money, firearms and expensive wristwatches.

The governor is praying for a “declaration that the raid cannot be carried out while he is still a governor, by virtue of the combined effects of Section 308 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) and sections 149 (1) and 150 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015.” (The Guardian)

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