Justice Adamu Turaki Mohammed of the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, has restrained Edo state Governor, Godwin Obaseki, from enforcing his order on compulsory Covid-19 vaccination of residents of the state.
Justice Mohammed gave the order on Tuesday, following Motions filed in Suit No. FHC/PH/FHR/266/2021 by Mr. Charles Osaretin against the Governor of Edo State and 5 others, seeking that status quo be maintained pending determination of the suit.
The motion was filed on Monday.
Obaseki had mandated all the residents of Edo State to compulsorily get vaccinated against Covid-19 or risk denial of access to worship centres, banks and other public places in the State.
Earlier in his argument, counsel for the applicants, Echezona Etiaba, (a Senior Advocate of Nigeria) urged the Court to order parties to maintain status quo pending the hearing and determination of the Motion on Notice for the Enforcement of the Applicant’s Fundamental Rights and for the leave of Court to serve the Respondents by publishing the court processes in a national daily circulating in Nigeria.
The orders were granted as prayed, as the presiding judge directed that court processes be placed in a national daily.
The matter was adjourned till September 10, 2021 for hearing of the Substantive Motion.