The Judicial Commission of Inquiry has struck out a petition saying that it fell outside the terms of reference given to the commission.
The petition was brought by Mr Ndubuisi Okereke who was at the commission with his counsel, Undu Joseph.
When the case was mentioned, the commission chairman, Honourable Justice C. I. Uriri (retd), had requested the commission’s counsel, S.O. Inko-Tariah, to look into subject matter of the petition.
The counsel said that the petition had nothing to do with the terms of reference of the commission and suggested that the commission should strike out the petition.
The chairman of the commission went ahead and struck out the petition.
The petitioner’s case involved the disappearance of his son when military men had invaded Oyigbo Local Government in the aftermath of #EndSARS protest which was hijacked by Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and resulted in the death of military men.
The commission chairman said the panel was mandated to deal only with issues relating to police brutality and not military and had struck out the petition for lack of jurisdiction.
The counsel to the petitioner made attempt to speak after the petition was struck out but was not allowed by the commission’s chairman who said that the panel was already done with the case.
When another petition was called the petitioners were not present neither was the counsel to police.
The petition was brought to the commission by Samuel T. O. Amatonjie, Francis Victor, Mary Joseph, Lindah Moses and by Daniel Nkare.
Details of the petition were not made known since the petitioners were absent.
Another petition was also not heard because the petitioners were not present neither was the counsel representing the police.
The Judicial Commission of Inquiry, set up by Rivers State government, looks into the alleged cases of violence, torture and brutality and murder and the violation of fundamental rights of the citizens committed by the officers and men and operatives of the Nigerian Police Force in the state and make recommendations.
