Tina Amanda
As the commission of inquiry set up to investigate the violence, killings and other related acts and matters which occurred during the February 23rd and March 9th election in Rivers State continues its sitting, the state governorship candidate of the All Progressive Congress, APC, Tonye Cole, President National Youth Council Sokubo Saraigbe, F-SARS and the Nigerian Army have been fingered in the killings, violent hijack of electoral materials in Akuku Toru local government.
Witnessing before the commission, Peoples Democratic Party leader in Ward 17 Soku community, Precious Jeremiah, said that while escorting the electoral materials to his ward through the waterways, Sokubu Saraigbe in the company of the Nigerian Army inside a gunboat drove close to them and the military shot at them sporadically, hijacked and diverted the electoral materials to an unknown destination.
Testifying before the panel, Special Adviser to Governor Nyesom Wike on infrastructure, Barrister Otonye Briggs, said on the March 9th governorship election at about 7am, military men numbering over 15 in the company of Tonye Cole stopped him on his way to the INEC RAC Center in Abonnema to carry out his duty as a Returning/Collation Officer for PDP, adding that he was detained from 9th March to 19th March 2019 by the Nigerian Army 6 division Bori camp where he was seriously ill-treated.
Also witnessing, INEC Adhoc staff, Thy-will Tapotubo, posted to work in Ward 9 unit 1 Romeo gate Abonnema, said on February 23rd at the INEC RAC Center Abonnema while waiting to collect electoral materials, at about 7am, an APC leader, Christian Don Pedro, drove into the place with thugs numbering over 100.
According to him, minutes later the thugs began to shot sporadically and on trying to escape from the RAC he was shot on the back by one Soki Don Pedro.
On his part, Abonema Youth leader testified that after the sporadic gunshot by the APC thugs at the INEC RAC Center Abonema, many victims of bullet wounds were rushed to the health care centre but military officers invaded the hospital, arrested the doctor and nurse treating the wounded victims.
He added that the arrest led to the death of 24 people who would have survived if urgently attended to by the health personnel.
Witnessing, Paramount Ruler of Opu- Kula in Akuku Toru, His Royal Highness Hope Oposingi, said while waiting to cast his vote, some thugs led by Soki Pedro chased them with machetes and guns.
According to him: He and others ran into the Navy barrack, and what preceded was a gun battle between the Navy and the thugs for over four hours.
Tobins Tobins, leader of the Peoples Democratic Party in Ward 14 Obonuma Abonema, told the commission that on February 22nd, military officers arrested him and detained him in their guard room at the 6 division for 12 days and later took him to the state Criminal Investigation Department were he spent additional 2 days in the cell and was granted bail by the magistrate court on 7th March.
