The Judicial Commission Inquiry has commenced with a probe with five witnesses that appeared before the commission over the attack that led to the destruction and arson of some local government secretariat headquarters within the state.
The LG councils were attacked on October 7 immediately after the election day.
Out of 22 witnesses that were asked to appear before the council, only five were present at the Rivers State High Court Complex in Port Harcourt.
Earlier, The New Daily Prime reported that the Judicial Commission Inquiry summoned 109 witnesses to appear before the commission with different dates allocated to the affected LGAs.
The commission was set up by Governor Siminalayi Fubara with the intent to probe attacks that led to killing, arson, and destruction of properties in some of the LG councils headquarters.
Speaking to journalists after the first hearing, Mr. Uzor Ikenga, counsel to the judicial commission, said, “Today is the first day of hearing, and before now we have sent out summons to various persons to appear before the commission, and today we have a physical hearing of witnesses.
“Today was the hearing from Ikwerre Local Government Area, and we called about five witnesses who testified of what they saw—the destruction, the arson that happened in the local government.
Emphasizing the threat to life, he added that “one person, for fear of attack, could not testify in the open, but that was done in camera after the counsel that represented the local government sought the leave of the commission to take his evidence in camera.
“Also a chief, one of the royal highnesses was part of those who testified. He did say that the destruction of the local government was rather a dastardly act because the local government had been in existence when his father was alive; he was not even born where the local government existed, so now the local government has lost a lot as a result of the destruction.
“Summon was made, and publication was made on national dailies for those who had one thing or the other to say as regards what is contained in the commission to appear before the commission. It was on radio, it was on print media, it was on social media, for them to come.
“So, we have taken enough steps to afford everybody a fair hearing because some of them we don’t even know where they stay. Those who saw it came and testified, so we have made ample steps to ensure that everybody is given a fair hearing.”
Due to the low turnout of the witnesses, Mr. Ikenga told the newsmen that the probe will “continue tomorrow; probably, as they did not come today, they might come tomorrow, either to testify personally or through any counsel of their choice.”
By Helen Okechukwu
