2019 General Elections:  Mixed Feelings As Witnesses Recount Harrowing Experiences Before Comm. Of Enquiry

….Gogo-Jaja’s Testimony Evokes Emotions

…Details of Dr. Feregbe’s Death, Others Unveiled

…Military, F-SARS Roles In Rivers Guber Election

The two-day public hearing by the House of Representatives joint committees on Army, Human Rights, Justice and Police Affairs held at the Rivers State House of Assembly has blown the lead off some of the developments that led to wanton killings in the wake of the presidential cum governorship elections in the state as eye witnesses presented their experiences one after the other.

Setting the tone for the commencement of the hearing, Honorable Kingsley Chinda, a member of the  Federal House of Representative, representing Obio/Akpor Federal Constituency in Rivers State, and Chairman House Committee on Public Account, stressed the importance of the public hearing. According to him, the developments that played out were worth talking about for posterity, even as he noted that elections that took place were out of the ordinary, describing it as ‘’a real battle field.”

He pointed out that with the roles played by the F-SARS and the army, communities in the state had a taste of their atrocities. He reminded the sitting how a returning officer of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Dr. Feregbe , a lecturer who offered to serve was hounded down by the bullets from the security agents, when he was hit by bullets in his lower abdomen. He accused the military of being fully involved in election duties.

He expressed the need to have all that transpired investigated with a view to calling the culprits to order, while stressing the need to amend electoral laws where necessary, “to prevent the country from turning into Banana Republic.”

 However, it was a moment of truth as participants in the history of the 2019 general elections in Rivers State came forward with their testimonies. Some of them provided video and photo evidence about what transpired in the wake of the gubernatorial election especially.

One of them, the Rivers State Commissioner for Education, Hon. Tamunosisi Gogo-Jaja presented a moving account of the harrowing experience that characterized the election both for him and those associated with him.

Hon. Jaja who testified under an oath, gave a vivid account of the phantom allegation by the military, which led to his arrest and inhuman treatment. According to him, the military later revealed that he was being arrested based on allegation of holding meetings with political thugs in 2014.

He recalled that on the fateful day of his arrest, soldiers led by one Major Mustapha besieged his residence and indeed his street with about 30 soldiers. While his nine year old daughter and his four year-old daughter had gun pointed at them, he was led out of his home with shorts on, even after all entreaties to have him change his cloth failed initially. He also testified that armoured carriers were lined up on his street before being whisked away to the Bori Camp (6th Division of the Nigerian Army) under inhuman condition. He stated how he slept in the military police cell with other detainees, before being carried to the stated CID the following day where he was later released.

It was also on record that Hon. Gogo   Jaja claimed that as at the time of his arrest in his GRA residence, he had about N1.5million on his table in the house and he returned to the house not finding the said amount anymore.

He ended his presentation by submitting the video footages of what transpired in his house . But, earlier, he added how the soldiers had requested the control room of his CCTV without success.

Also, testimony on the death of Dr. Fegbere, a lecturer with Ken Saro-Wiwa Polytechnic, Bori and PDP agent was presented by Hon. Thomas Bariere. He claimed that while the process was going on peacefully, the F-SARS invaded the collation center ordering all the PDP agents to leave, but their refusal to see to the conclusion of the election results led to shooting. According to him, his colleague,  Feregbe was hit by the bullets from the F-SARS. He recounted how the deceased was taken to St. Patrick Hospital where he died the following an operation.

In his own presentation, the collation agent in Khana local government, Prince Sudor Weor , who doubled as the DG Wike Solidarity Movement, corroborated accounts rendered by Hon. Thomas Bariere. He added that the F-SARS led by Akin Fakorede ordering everybody to leave made people to run amid sporadic shooting. He called for justice over the matter.

Others who testified alleged that the military were at the beck and call of the opposition in places where they committed atrocities, especially in some Rivers communities such as Abonnema, Akuku Toru, Khana and others. They claimed death tolls from the election was about  43,while number  identified dead persons were about 24, as 20 others suffered bullet wounds, and another 14 persons were arrested and detained.

However, the Nigerian Army, led by its top echelons from Defence Headquarters, Abuja, has refuted some of the allegations credited to its personnel in the wake of 2019 general elections in Rivers State.

The army position was among those presented at the just concluded public hearing organized by the House of Representatives joint Committees on Army, Human Rights JUSTICE AND Police Affairs. The 2-day hearing which investigated the circumstances leading to the death of Dr. Feregbe and others took place at the Rivers State House of Assembly.

Led by Brig. Gen. Felix O. NwegI , the Nigerian Army in its presentation, accepted the fact that the Nigeria Police remains the lead security agency in election matters. “We support them, we act in aid of civil authority ,” he said, while noting that the INEC Act provided the Nigerian army to provide escort to different terrains in an election. He added that the military is fully mandated to mount outer/exterior cordon.

According to the general, events leading to the elections were dotted by violence especially in Rivers State and, as a results army  arrested some political thugs in the months leading to the election. According to him, the arrest involved thugs across different political parties. He argued that the army adhered to the rule of engagement and code of conduct, even as it sent observers to its formations in the country in order to ensure compliance, this he noted won the army accolades both locally and internationally by observers. General Nwegi expressed worry that it was only in Rivers State that the army was accused of committing atrocitie .

On allegation concerning army involvement in the deaths of Dr. Feregbe and Mrs. Amakri, he said it was laughable for someone to think that the army was directly involved in the death of the woman. He explained the circumstances leading to the death of Mrs.Ibisaki  Amachere,saying the military gun boat which provided security for INEC personnel and election materials was attacked on the waterways by unknown gunmen. He said that the army defended the situation, leading to causalities and gunshots  from the encounter hitting the deceased woman.

While responding that the military conducted itself professionally, the Gen. lamented that the army lost three soldiers of 130 battalion during an attempt to rescue an armoured carrier which was hijacked  in Abonnema.

About video evidences as proofs of the army involvement in intimidation and harassment of persons during the elections, the Brig. Gen. insisted that the army will ensure the evidences submitted by individuals were thoroughly vetted for authenticity.

But, the army drew the ire of some committee members, especially Chairman of the House of Reps Committees, Rimande Kwelilum, and Committee deputy chairman  from Edo State who felt , rather than admit misconducts in some cases, the army was full of grand standing. For instance, while making presentation with rising tension, the Brig. General got an appeal to take it easy as the matter under review was a civil matter.

The army presentation also unsettled many seated during the public hearing as they expressed feeling through body languages that indicated disapproval.

Meanwhile, no presentation or representation by the Nigeria Police came forth on the day one of the public hearing, until the second day when the commander of F-SARS , Akin Fakorede presented his defence. Some of the witnesses had accused the men of the F-SARS of complicity in the events leading to the death of Dr. Fred Feregbe. The alleged that sporadic shooting from officers of the SARS unit hit Dr. Feregbe in the lower abdomen, leading to operation where he gave up the ghost on the second day.