The Rivers State Judiciary complex along Azikwe Road, Port Harcourt is under lock and key.
All the entry and exit points of the Judiciary Complex have also been barricaded by a yet to be identified group of people, mostly youths.
It is unknown if the barricade is a form of protest because the group is yet to be identified.
Also, there is no presence of security presence as of the time of filing this report.
In the meantime, lawyers, litigants and judiciary staff have been left stranded.
However, feelers say this may not be unconnected with the brawl between factions of the All Progressives Congress in the State over the conduct of Local government Ward Congress of the party billed for tomorrow, Saturday.
The Senator Magnus Abe-led group of the APC had filled an application for orders to be made by the High Court in Port Harcourt to stop the Congress.
In anticipation of what may happen, the APC in Rivers yesterday issued a terse statement calling on all concerned institutions to disregard any court process purportedly emanating from the APC in the state.
In the statement signed by Rivers APC Publicity Secretary, Chris Finebone, the party said, “Information reaching us indicates that some individuals posing as members of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Rivers State have approached a Rivers State High Court to seek injunction against the holding of local government and subsequent Congresses in Rivers State. It has also come to our notice that the same impostors have procured a lawyer to represent the APC in the phoney matter they surreptitiously brought before a court.
“By this notice the All Progressives Congress, APC, Rivers State Chapter, is hereby notifying the Rivers State and Federal judiciaries and the general public that at no time was the APC served any court process and at no time did the APC secure the services of any counsel to handle such a matter in any court. The attempt at claiming a non-existing court matter and the alleged appearance of a counsel on behalf of the APC with briefing by the party is manifestly false, criminal and should be disregarded and such persons arrested and prosecuted accordingly.
“The APC re-iterates that any court or persons dealing with any such unauthorised person(s) do so at their own risk as the Rivers State Chapter of All Progressives Congress, APC, has neither been served any court process nor briefed any lawyer to deal on any such matter on the party’s behalf whatsoever.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the processes for conducting the local government and other congresses have since commenced and no action can, at this time, stop a process that is already ongoing.”
