Rivers court stops police, others from arresting Nunieh

Meanwhile, the state High Court sitting in Port Harcourt has restrained the police and other law enforcement agencies from arresting Nunieh.

Nunieh through her lawyer, Sylvester Adaka, on Friday filed for an ex parte order praying the court to bar the police from making a further attempt to arrest her.

Justice E. Thompson granted the application brought to the court by her lawyer.

The court restrained the NDDC or any other body from arresting Nunieh pending the hearing and determination of the matter before it.

When contacted, Nunieh confirmed that she got an injunction from the Rivers High Court.

Akpabio threatens to sue Nunieh

Meanwhile, Akpabio has threatened to take legal action against  Nunieh for allegedly defaming his character.

This threat was contained in a statement titled, “Akpabio to sue Joy Nunieh for defamation, denies ‘false allegations’,” signed by his special assistant, Anietie Ekong, in Abuja, on Friday.

Ekong said the minister had already instructed his lawyers to seek legal redress.

He described Nunieh’s allegations against his principal as tissues of lies noting that at no time did the minister make advances towards her.

The statement read in part, “The honourable minister’s initial attitude was to allow his lawyers and the judicial system vindicate him of the false allegations against him, but he is compelled to react to some of the wayward allegations levied against his person by Nunieh, especially the one bothering on sexual harassment.

“To start with, let it be known that there is no scintilla of truth in all the allegations peddled around by Nunieh. They are simply false.

“The Honourable Minister did not at any time, place or circumstance make any form of sexual advances to Ms Nunieh, not even to put himself in a position or posture suggestive of sexual advances towards Ms Nunieh, or any female staff of his Ministry or the NDDC.

“For the records, the Honourable Minister, Senator Godswill Akpabio, CON, is happily married and contented with his wife. Together they are blessed with children, four of whom are young women.

“The honourable minister is an avid believer of the affirmative action and that was visible in the appointments he made as a two-term executive Governor of Akwa Ibom State between 2007 and 2015.

“Under his watch, he appointed several women into various high-level positions as chairpersons of Local Government Councils, magistrates, judges, heads of parastatals, directors, Permanent Secretaries, and commissioners.”