Rivers Commission of Inquiry: Any person no matter how powerful must appear – HURIWA

Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, HURIWA, has described as well-timed intervention the move by Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, to establish a Judicial Commission of Inquiry to investigate the violence, arson, and destruction of public property that followed the local government elections in the state.

HURIWA said the move was decisive and one of the governor’s most commendable actions, given the need for justice and accountability in the face of such serious unrest.

In a statement signed by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, HURIWA lauded the commission as a crucial step toward identifying and prosecuting the perpetrators, whom it referred to as “political terrorists.”

Newspot reported that the Governor had inaugurated a seven-member Judicial Commission of Inquiry to probe the violence that led to the burning of several local government council headquarters in Rivers State.

“This is a well-timed intervention aimed at uncovering the root causes of the unrest and ensuring those responsible are held accountable,” the statement read.

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The rights association stressed that the individuals behind the violence were not mere vandals but political terrorists determined to destabilize the state’s democratic institutions.

“Those who burned local government secretariats to disrupt the election process and undermine democracy are political terrorists by definition,” the group asserted.

The Commission of Inquiry is Chaired by Justice Ibiwengi Roseline Minakiri and has the like of Mrs Inyingi Brown, who serves as the secretary, and Uzor Ikenga, acting as counsel

The human rights group called on security forces to ensure that any individual, regardless of political stature, is made to appear before the commission if summoned.

“If any person, no matter how powerful or influential, is implicated in this plot to destabilize Rivers State, the security agencies must act swiftly to arrest and present them before the commission. If found guilty after lawful proceedings, they should be prosecuted,” HURIWA stated.

HURIWA also expressed dissatisfaction with President Bola Tinubu’s response to the situation, describing his remarks as lacking statesmanship.

Newspot reported that through his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the President had urged political leaders in Rivers State to settle their disputes in court, while also directing the police to ensure the protection of public facilities.

However, HURIWA criticized the President for failing to identify those responsible for the violence explicitly but instead attempted to shift the blame to Governor Fubara.