An FCT 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 rallies, meetings and other civic activities organised by 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.
The court also restrained the defendants, their agents, officers, staff or anyone acting on their behalf from destroying, dismantling, defacing or removing billboards and signages erected by the lawmaker across Ideato North and South Federal Constituencies.
Justice Agunloye further barred the defendants from stopping, restricting, denying access to, sealing or preventing Ugochinyere and his supporters from using venues for peaceful rallies, processions, campaigns, meetings and other civic activities within Ideato Federal Constituency and elsewhere in Imo State.
The order followed an application filed by Ugochinyere through his counsel, Chizubor Ezike.
The defendants named in the suit 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, Commissioner of Police in Imo State, Director of the SSS in the state and the NSCDC Imo State Command.
In granting the application, the judge said he had considered the affidavit supporting the application, the exhibits attached to it and an affidavit of extreme urgency sworn to by Anderson Achike.
The court also noted that it had heard submissions from counsel to the applicant, Ibukunoluwa Thompson.
Under the order, the defendants were restrained from engaging in any conduct capable of frustrating Ugochinyere’s political and civic activities pending the determination of the motion on notice for interlocutory injunction.
They were also barred from stopping the continued or further reinstallation of his billboards or preventing him and his supporters from holding civic activities, peaceful rallies, processions, programmes, campaigns, meetings or other events within Ideato Federal Constituency or elsewhere in Imo State.
The court said the order was intended to protect what it described as the lawmaker’s rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and movement.
It further recognised his right to erect or install billboards and other signages within Ideato Federal Constituency or Imo State for purposes including publicising government projects attracted by him as a federal lawmaker, mobilising constituents, sending seasonal greetings and disseminating security-awareness messages.
The injunction also has implications for 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 enforcing or implementing the June 15 letter, or any subsequent directive restricting the number of the lawmaker’s billboards to six.
They were also barred from providing security cover for anyone attempting to destroy or remove the billboards pursuant to the directive.
The judge ordered that the substantive suit be heard on an accelerated basis and directed that the originating summons, hearing notices and other court processes be served on the relevant defendants through designated channels.
The case was initially adjourned to July 28, 2026, for hearing of the motion on notice for interlocutory injunction.
When the matter came up, the court noted that the respondents were still within the period allowed by law to file their responses and were therefore entitled to be heard.
Ugochinyere’s legal team, however, urged the court to extend the interim order through the court’s vacation period, arguing that the respondents were not yet ready to proceed with the interlocutory injunction.
Ruling on the request, Justice Agunloye extended the interim order until the next adjourned date.
The case has now been adjourned to November 4, 2026, for hearing.
The order was signed by Justice Agunloye and authenticated by the court registrar, Hannatu Simon.
