Fubara Launches Seven-Member Panel to Investigate Killings and Destruction at Rivers LG Headquarters

Siminalayi Fubara, the governor of Rivers State, has established a seven-member panel to investigate the recent killings and property destruction at local government secretariats in the state.

The panel was inaugurated on Tuesday, October 8, at the executive chamber of the Government House in Port Harcourt.

Addressing the panel, Governor Fubara pledged that his administration would not permit “ill-guided youths and sponsored political thugs” to turn Rivers into a center of violence without consequences.

He tasked the panel with uncovering the root causes of the violence and identifying those responsible for the attacks on the secretariats.

“So, I have decided to take this action to find out the immediate and remote causes of this arson,” Fubara said. “Most importantly, no matter the personalities involved, we must bring them to book.”

“If we are right, it is going to be the end of further destruction of public property in the state,” he said.

He also recognized the challenges the panel might encounter, including potential threats, but urged them to stay resilient.

The panel, chaired by Judge Ibiwengi Roseline Minakiri, consists of six other members: Inyingi Brown (secretary), Uzor Ikenga (counselor), Felicia Nwoke, Blessing Didia, Samuel Egbe, and Venerable Alex Usifor.

They are expected to submit their report within one month.

The panel’s inauguration comes after a wave of violence on Monday, when hoodlums set fire to sections of three local government area (LGA) secretariats in Emohua, Eleme, and Ikwerre, reportedly resulting in the deaths of five people in an effort to prevent elected officials from resuming their duties.

This violence follows the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) elections held on Saturday, October 5, which resulted in 23 chairmanships and 319 councillorship seats being filled.

The Action Peoples Party (APP) won 22 of the LGAs, while the Action Alliance (AA) secured one.

The LGA elections were marked by controversy, including conflicting court orders and opposition from the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Despite a federal high court ruling in Abuja that barred security agencies from supporting the election, Governor Fubara proceeded with the vote.

The panel’s findings are anticipated to address both the violence and the legal controversies surrounding the elections.