Tina Amanda
The four man panel of inquiry constituted to investigate the violence, killings and other related acts, matters which occurred during the February 23rd and March 9th elections in Rivers State, has commenced its sitting at the state high court complex, Port Harcourt.
Giving his inaugural speech, Justice Monima Danagogo, who is the lead panelist, said the commission of inquiry was setup not to witch hunt anybody, but to investigate the remote and immediate causes of the killings and violence which erupted during the 2019 elections in the state.
Justice Danagogo noted that the commission will identify the sponsors, perpetrators and the motives behind the killings and violence that occurred during and after the election, so as to determine if any public officer in the state is connected to the violence.
According to him, the panel will maker appropriate recommendations concerning the findings or any other recommendation that the commission considered appropriate in the circumstances, adding that it will also make recommendations on ways and means of preventing violence occurring during any election in future.
He said further that the fact finding commission will submit its report to the Governor of Rivers State within 30 days of the first sitting.
Testifying before the fact finding panel of inquiry, Mr. Marvin Azunwor, who lost his 29 years old son Chijioke Davies Azunwor, during the March 9th election in Oyigbo local government area, said his son who was an agent for the Peoples Democratic Party was shot dead by a military officer at the premises of the INEC Registration Area Center in Oyigbo while carrying out his electoral primary assignment.
He said the military officers numbering four alighted from a Prado Jeep and began to shot sporadically, adding that one of the officers moved towards his son and demanded for the election result of Oyigbo local government which his son said he was not with and immediately the officer pulled the trigger and shot his son inside the RAC, stressing that his son was confirmed dead when rushed to the hospital.
Also witnessing, a stakeholder of the Peoples Democratic Party and Former Caretaker Chairman of Oyigbo local government, Chisom Gbali, told the commission that on the 10th of March 2019, at about 10am, some military men invaded his property, Vulgate Hotel, attacked him, destroyed valuables in the hotel, adding that he almost lost his life during the attack due to the severe injury he sustained from the attack.
The Peoples Democratic Party’s Oyigbo local government area party agent, Dr Jackson Nweke, said that on 22nd of February, at about 10:30pm before the election day, he was subjected to inhumane treatment and humiliation alongside other political party agents outside the state Central Bank of Nigerian premises, by Army officers while they were overseeing INEC sorting out the electoral materials.
