Witnesses testify as Rivers commission begins sitting

The Commission of Inquiry into politically-motivated killings in Rivers State yesterday began its sitting in Port Harcourt.

There were reports last week that a Federal High Court in Port Harcourt restrained it from sitting.

But chairman of the Commission, Prof. Chidi Odinkalu, who presided over the yesterday’s inaugural sitting, said no member has received any court order restraining it from sitting.

Odinkalu who is also the chair of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) said “so far we have received about 30 memos from members of the public” pointing out that it would be fair and transparent to all concerned.

He appealed to petitioners and any aggrieved parties in the matters that would be tabled at the commission t to come up with verifiable evidence to enable the commission do its job without bias.

During the yesterday’s sitting, four witnesses appeared, testified and were cross-examined.

The witnesses that appeared are: Mrs Patience Adube, wife of late Chief Christopher Adube who was assassinated in his house in Obrikom, Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area alongside three of his children and two others on April 3.

Another witness was Mr Anthony Onyemachi Ogarabe, a businessman in Obrikom who also testified in the case of the late Adube.

Mrs Precious Adube, the second wife of the late Adube who is the mother of the three children that were killed, also testified.

The names of the three children are Joy, John and Lucky.

Mr. Kennedy Ahiaidu, an employee of the Federal College of Education (Technical), Omoku also told the commission that on January 14, 2014 a group of young men numbering about 50, attacked her house but did not succeed in killing anybody in the family house.

He said during the election campaigns, they re-grouped, came back and to kill his father, the late Chief Ahiaidu.

After testifying, the petitioners prayed the commission to fish out the perpetrators of these dastardly acts and their sponsors and bring them to justice.