Counsel to widow of late Dr. Ferry Gberegbe, Barrister Lezina Amegua, has brought a motion for joinder in the fundamental rights suit brought by Gberegbe’s widow.
Barrister Amegua told the court on Friday that he had a motion to add Police Service Commission as a party in the suit.
This therefore did not allow expected cross-examination of another witness by defendants’ counsel, Essiene Edet, at the court presided over by Justice Adolphus Enebeli.
Ronke Gberegbe filed a fundamental rights suit against the Commissioner of Police of Rivers State and the then Commander of Special Anti-Robbery Squad, Akin Fakorede, for the death of her husband in the 2019 General Elections.
According to her lawyer, Ronke said in the suit that the two defendants allegedly violated the right to life of her late husband and asked that they pay N800 million in damages for violating the right to life of her late husband.
Late Dr. Gberegbe was allegedly shot by officers of Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) on 10 March, 2019 at an INEC Collation Centre in Bori in Khana Local Government Area of Rivers State during the Governorship and House of Assembly Elections in the state.
He was a collation agent for People’s Democratic Party, and reportedly died in hospital days after he was allegedly shot by SARS operatives.
A video clip allegedly showing how Dr. Gberegbe was killed was played in court in an earlier sitting but the defence counsel said it was an orchestrated act by some individuals who wanted to get their selfish aims but the presiding judge said he would not agree the video was an orchestrated act and the defence counsel withdrew his statement at the cross-examination.
However in an interview, applicant’s counsel, Barrister Lezina Amegua, alleged that late Dr. Gberegbe was killed by SARS operatives saying the video clip played in court showed how he was killed.
He said: “It is an open truth, it is naked as it is, that he was shot by men of SARS led by Akin Fakorede. It is no longer again as they claim it was. He was hit by their bullets and he fell down. He was rushed … for safety by sympathizers at the scene but unfortunately… he died some days after”.
However the defence counsel, Essiene Edet, said although he did not oppose playing of the video clip in court he raised an objection to the claim by applicant’s counsel that the defendants killed Dr. Gberegbe.
Edet said: “I didn’t counter the playing of the video. I countered the averment in their deposition that we did not commit the act for which they alleged we did”.
At the end of sitting on Friday, Justice Enebeli of Port-Harcourt High Court adjourned the case after hearing both counsels to 27 September for hearing of motion.
