Ogoni Invasion: 50 Petition Reps

The House of Representatives Committee on Army says, it has received over 50 petitions on the alleged invasion and killing of persons by soldiers and cult groups in Ogoniland of Rivers State before March 19, re-run elections in the state.
The Chairman of the Committee, Hon. Rima Shawulu Kwewum disclosed this Monday during the Committee’s fact-finding public hearing with stakeholders at the Rivers State House of Assembly Complex in Port Harcourt.
According to him, the Committee was in Rivers State to find out the truth and factors behind the invasion and killings in Yeghe, Bori and other communities in Ogoniland by soldiers, and not to apportion blames on any party involved.
He assured the people of Ogoni and the entire Rivers State that the Committee would ensure justice and equity without fear or favour to any person or party.
“We did not come on this mission to apportion blame on anybody, but to find out the actual truths on what happened in Ogoni before the March 19 re-run elections in the state”, Kwewum said.
The Committee Chairman used the medium to advise the people of Ogoni and the entire Rivers people to embrace peace and shun violence.
He stressed that, politics is all about serving with a clear mandate of the people and not using violence and killings to impose leadership on the people.
On his submission, the Caretaker Chairman of Gokana Local Government Area, Hon. Austin Nyeye-sor, told the Committee that soldiers under the command of one Major Mustapha and the former House of Representatives member, Hon. Barry Mpigi, invaded Yeghe Community in Gokana, and destroyed houses, including that of one Solomon Ndigbara in the area.
He also alleged that, the Army further arrested that wife and two children of Solomon Ndigbara, and severely tortured them, inflicting serious injuries on Ndigbara’s wife.
According to him, over N8,000, 000.00 was spent before Mrs Ndigbara could recover from the ill-health allegedly caused by Army in the area.
He also alleged that, soldiers, in February, invaded both Yeghe and Bori, and killed over six persons, including a pregnant women, who later died in hospital.

Enoch Epelle