By Emem Idio

YENAGOA—BAYELSA State High Court sitting in Yenagoa and presided over by Justice Matilda Ayumieye, has ordered a serving Police Inspector attached to Edo State Police Command, Carroll Ebide, to stop parading himself as the paramount ruler of Ayama Ijaw community in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area.

In a ruling, Justice Ayumieye held that Inspector Ebide, being a serving Police Inspector was not qualified to contest for or take the position of the paramount ruler of the community, and granted an order of perpetual injunction restraining Ebide from parading himself as the paramount ruler of the community.

Justice Ayumieye said Inspector Ebide “contravened Section 4 of the Chieftaincy Laws of Bayelsa State 2016 that set out the conditions for qualification to the position of a paramount ruler of a community, no person shall be recognized by the governor as a chief unless the government certifies that the person seeking recognition is not a full time public servant.”

One of the claimants, Chief Amen Sariki, had prayed the court to disregard the purported election that produced Ebide, adding that as a public servant under Edo State Police Command he was not qualified according to the constitution of the community.

The court also nullified the election of the paramount ruler’s seat of the community held on October 10, 2015 and any other subsequent action of illegal coronation of Inspector Ebide based on the set purported outcome of the said election, and ordered him to pay a fine of N30, 000.