From Kemi Yesufu and Ndubuisi Orji Abuja
Tempers flared during a public hearing by the House of Representatives into killings in Ogoniland.
The Civil Liberties Organisation had petitioned the House over invasion of Ogoniland by the Army, on February 23, which it alleged, led to the death of 12 persons, including children.
Trouble started when a victim’s brother identified one of the people who allegedly buried his brother alive, at the public hearing held by the House Committee on Army.
One Eric Kayinee identified one of the supposed killers of his brother by pointing at a man in the hall, and said he witnessed how his brother was buried alive.
Eric claimed his brother, Popbi, an All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain was buried alive by a gang led by one Solomon Ndigbara, who he identified as a member of the group.
The Rilmamnde Shawulu-led panel directed that the name of the man be collected for further investigations.
The confrontation didn’t end there as another man in the hall, who threatened Eric, was also reprimanded by the committee.
This was as the accused, Thomas Nwafor, who said he is from Ebonyi State and operates a fast food business, was put under oath by the committee and he promptly denied that being at the scene of the crime.
“I don’t know him, two brothers were also killed. I don’t know Solomon Ndigbara, I don’t know this man ( his accuser), I don’t know anybody in Yeghe,” he said.
Meanwhile, representative of the army, Col. O. N. Taiwo said the matter is still being investigated.
Inspector General,of Police, Ibrahim Idris, who was represented by Commissioner of Police, Rivers State Command, Francis Odesanya said the military was on patrol when they were ambushed by cultists/militants.
Odesanya explained that two people were charged to court from the group which attacked the army, and added that they moved straight to the APC secretariat and set it on fire.
According to him five people were killed while ambushing the army, contrary to the CLO’s petition which said 34 people were killed by the army without any identifiable provocation.
The CLO, in its report to the committee, signed by the Zonal Chairman, Chinedu Uchegbu and the Livingstone Wechie Deputy Director, Relations/ Communicationson the invasion of Yeghe and other Ogoni communities by military operatives said “February 22 and 23, 2016 were days of blood, fire and bullets in Ogoniland; one of the major ethnic nationalities in Rivers State. On that fateful day, soldiers, dressed in full military gear and armed with sophisticated weapons, stormed some Ogoni communities in a manner that made many to wonder if war had been declared on Ogoni…”