Omiete Joseph
The Rivers State Judiciary Panel of Inquiry has commenced its investigation into the arson attack on local government council secretariats that occured on October 7, 2024, with hearing from witnesses yesterday, in Port Harcourt.
A witness, Smile Azunda, told the Commission during the special hearing, that the damage at his Ikwerre LG Councils is estimated at N3.219 billion.
Earlier in her opening address Justice Ibiwengi Minakiri, chairman of the commission, emphasised that the panel’s purpose is fact-finding and recommendation, not victimisation. She appealed for cooperation from all parties involved.
In his defence on the memoranda he submitted on the October 28 on behalf of the council to the commission, Azunda urged the commission to admit attached photographies and video clips that captured moments of the ill fated incident of the burnt section of the council secretariat as evidence.
Azunda who is the Ikwerre Council Secretary tendered an attached document in his memoranda, report of an investigation carried by one John Chukwumadi on October 18, in the arson.
He also orally informed the commission that he made official complaint to the police, DSS and the Fire Service about the incident, which was subsequently abducted as F1, F2 and F3
He also presented photographies and video clips of those alleged to have masterminded the attack at the Ikwerre council secretariat.
In the photograph he identified former lawmaker representing Ikwerre constituency, Anselm Oguguo, Charles Wobodo , Obinna Ekem, and others as those allegedly responsible for the attack. He said the staff of council captured the moment of the arson through their mobile device and uploaded it on the internet .
He also accused the supporters of the former LGA chairman, Samuel Nwanosike of forming a parallel government in the area, collecting taxes, land rates and other levy . He said the police is aware, but has not intervene.
He said “the total cost of damage at the council secretariat is estimate to over three billion naira.The estimated evidence was tendered before the commission”.
Another witness, the paramount ruler of Ubima , Iheanyi Williams said on October 11, the Ikwerre traditional rulers council visited the council secretariat to ascertain the level of damage and discovered that it what was beyond repair.
He called on the panel to ensure proper prosecution of those who masterminded the destruction.
Counsel to the Commission, Uzor Ikenga, who spoke with journalists at the end of the sitting 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 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.
“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”.
Ikenga continued that “A chief, one of the royal highness was part of those who testified. He did said that the destruction of the local government was rather a dastardly act because that local government has been in existence when his father was alive, that he was not even born when the local government existed so now the local government has lost alot 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 fair hearing because some of them we don’t even know where they stay. Those who saw it and they came and testified, so, we have made ample steps to ensure that everybody is given fair hearing, it still continues tomorrow, probably as they did not come today they might come tomorrow, either to testify personally or through any counsel of their choice”, Ikenga added.