The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has called for full accountability in the series of arson attacks on Local Government Area (LGA) Secretariats in Rivers State.
This comes as the Judicial Commission of Inquiry nears the conclusion of its investigation.
The Judicial Commission, chaired by Hon. Justice Ibiwengi Minakiri, was inaugurated by Governor Siminalayi Fubara with a specific mandate to investigate the killings, arson, and destruction of local government properties and to deliver a comprehensive report.
The Commission, composed of seven distinguished members, was given a one-month timeframe to complete its inquiry and submit recommendations.
Speaking via a statement by its National Coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko, HURIWA noted that the attacks, which occurred shortly after the successful local government elections, posed a significant threat to the democratic process.
HURIWA criticized the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) for the security lapses that facilitated the attacks, condemning the unexplained withdrawal of police security from the affected LGAs just before and on the day the newly elected council officials assumed office.
The group described this action as a gross dereliction of duty, creating a security gap that emboldened those responsible for the violence.
Calling the security withdrawal an “ignominious and unconstitutional act,” the group warned that this dereliction of democratic responsibilities would be recorded as a stain on the current IGP’s legacy.
HURIWA emphasized Nigerians’ anticipation of a fair and impartial report from the Commission.
The association expressed confidence that the judicial commission, under Justice Minakiri’s leadership, “would meet public expectations by providing a detailed account of the circumstances surrounding the attacks.”
“HURIWA expects that the panel’s “findings would reveal the motivations behind the violence.
“The people of Rivers State, and indeed all Nigerians, deserve to know the truth,” HURIWA stated.
