Court stops Imo, police from disrupting Rep’s rallies
August 14, 2026 3:47 pm
A gavel. Photo: File
A Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja has restrained the Imo State Government, security agencies and the chairmen of Ideato North and Ideato South Local Government Areas from interfering with the rallies, meetings and other civic activities of the member representing Ideato North/South Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Imo Ugochinyere.
Justice Kayode Agunloye issued the interim injunction in an order dated July 20, 2026, following an ex parte application filed by Ugochinyere in suit number FCT/HC/CV/153/2026 and Motion No. M/481/2026.
In the documents shared with our correspondent on Friday, the court restrained the defendants, their agents, officers, staff or anyone acting on their behalf from “destroying, dismantling, defacing, cutting down or ordering for the removal and/or demolition” of billboards and signages installed by the lawmaker across Ideato North and South Federal Constituencies of Imo State.
The judge also barred them from “stopping, barring, denying access to, sealing off or preventing the Claimant and/or his supporters” from using venues for peaceful rallies, processions, campaigns, meetings and other civic activities within Ideato Federal Constituency or elsewhere in Imo State.
The order followed an application filed by Ugochinyere through his counsel, Chizubor Ezike.
The defendants include the Nigeria Police Force, Inspector-General of Police, State Security Service, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Imo State Governor, Imo State Signage and Advertisement Agency, chairmen of Ideato North and Ideato South LGAs, the Commissioner of Police in Imo State, the Director of the SSS in the state and the NSCDC Imo State Command.
In granting the application, Agunloye said he had considered “the Affidavit in support of the Application, the exhibits as well as the Affidavit of Extreme Urgency” sworn to by one Anderson Achike.
The judge also noted that he had listened to counsel to the applicant, Ibukunoluwa Thompson, before granting the application.
The court specifically ordered that the defendants must not engage in conduct capable of frustrating Ugochinyere’s political and civic activities pending the determination of the motion on notice.
The order states that the defendants are restrained from “stopping the continued or further reinstallation of the billboards” by the lawmaker or from preventing him and his supporters from conducting “any civic activities, peaceful rally, procession, program, campaign, meetings or any event” in venues within Ideato Federal Constituency or Imo State.
The court further restrained the defendants from breaching what it described as the lawmaker’s “inalienable rights to expression, peaceful assembly and movement.”
Those rights, the court said, included Ugochinyere’s right “to erect or install signage or billboards within Ideato Federal Constituency or Imo State” for purposes including showcasing government projects attracted by him as a federal lawmaker, mobilising constituents, sending seasonal greetings and disseminating security-awareness messages.
The order also has a direct bearing on a June 15, 2026 letter seeking to limit the number of Ugochinyere’s billboards.
The court restrained the fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth defendants from “giving effect to, enforcing, carrying out or implementing the letter dated 15th June, 2026 or any other such letter(s)” restricting the number of the lawmaker’s billboards to six.
The defendants were also restrained from providing security cover for anyone seeking to destroy or remove the billboards in furtherance of the June 15 letter.
The judge ordered accelerated hearing of the substantive suit.
The order further directed that the originating summons, hearing notices and other court processes be served on the relevant defendants through specified channels, including the office of the Attorney-General of Imo State, the Legal Department of the Nigeria Police Force, the SSS headquarters and the NSCDC headquarters in Abuja.
The court subsequently adjourned the matter to July 28, 2026, for hearing of the motion on notice for interlocutory injunction.
When the matter came up on the adjourned date, the court noted that the respondents were still within the time allowed by law to file their response and were therefore entitled to be heard in defence of the suit.
The claimant’s side, however, urged the court to extend the interim order through the court’s vacation period, arguing that it was the respondents who were not ready to proceed with the interlocutory injunction motion.
Ruling on the request, Justice Agunloye extended the interim order to remain in force until the next adjourned date, and further adjourned the case to November 4, 2026, for hearing.
The order was signed by the presiding judge and authenticated by the court registrar, Hannatu Simon.
Nathaniel Shaibu is a correspondent at The PUNCH with three years of professional journalism experience. He covers the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), civil society, religion, and the Ministries of Women Affairs and Youth Development. In addition to his primary beats, Nathaniel also reports on politics, metro, security, and judicial matters, bringing clarity and balance to a wide range of public-interest stories. His work reflects hands-on newsroom experience, strong beat knowledge, and a commitment to accurate, responsible journalism.
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