A woman, who had been thrown into widowhood by the violence in Rivers State, Wednesday, pleaded for assistance from the Rivers State government for the upkeep of her four children.
Akoghe Caleb-Ahmed, an official of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, said her husband was fatally shot by unknown gunmen three weeks before the March 28th presidential election.
“I was pleading with the people, that I don’t want to be a young widow,” Mrs. Caleb-Ahmed told a Commission of Inquiry probing politically-motivated killings and destruction of properties in the state.
“They said my husband is an APC (All Progressives Congress) member. I said ‘please please, he will not do again.’ Before I can finish, they have shoot (sic) down in the room.”
Rivers Inquiry: How demanding election result sheets left me half-blind — Witness
Mrs. Caleb-Ahmed, a native of Emoh in Abua/Odual local government, said her husband left behind four children – 11, 8, 4, and 2 year olds – who are all in school.
“I’m afraid for my life because what I see (sic) that day was terrible. I don’t recognise their faces but they were not wearing masks. They were just wearing face caps.”
Her testimony came two days after another woman, Ruth Orukwowu, gave evidence about how gunmen shot and killed her husband at a polling unit on the day of the gubernatorial election in the state.
Mrs. Orukwowu, 41, said she is now left with seven children – the oldest is 18 years old while the youngest is 11 years – to cater for.
Six witnesses narrated to the Commission tales of arson, assaults, and murder before and during the general election.
Also testifying before the Commission on Wednesday, Augustine Wokocha, the state Commissioner for Power, said his house and that of his Special Assistant in ONELGA were burnt down by suspected PDP thugs.
“The attackers marched to my house chanting ‘PDP, power. No more APC,’” Mr. Wokocha said.
“When they were marching to my house, people from the community called me on the phone. I quickly called the JTF Commander who told me he was on his way to Port Harcourt. I called the DPO who also told me he was on his way to Port Harcourt.
“But after the attack, they (JTF Commander and DPO) found their way to my house to count the bullets the hoodlums expended.”
Mr. Wokocha said that violence in ONELGA (Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni local government area) had moved from commercial to political.
He said his mother, Lucy, 67, was killed by kidnappers in 2010 due to “a commercial transaction gone wrong.”
“My community is deserted actually; Okposi community. Since last two weeks, not less than five other persons have been killed.”
The incidents are part of a wave of violent killings and arson that swept across Rivers State in the run up to and during the 2015 general elections.
Last month, Governor Rotimi Amaechi instituted a Commission of Inquiry to probe alleged politically-motivated killings and destruction of properties in Rivers State.
But the Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP, in the state obtained an interim order from the Federal High Court, Port Harcourt, restraining the Commission from going ahead with the probe.
“PDP’s ERROR”
On Monday, Emmanuel Aguma, counsel to the PDP, sought to draw the Commission’s attention to the court order.
Chidi Odinkalu, the head of the Commission, suggested that since his panel was just seeing the court order, they would fix Wednesday to listen to counsels’ arguments and judicial authorities on the issue.
But the PDP’s lawyer refused and said he’d rather attend the proceedings on Wednesday for the argument.
On Wednesday, Mr. Aguma did not turn up at the Inquiry.
B.E.I Nwofor, counsel to the Rivers State governor… Read full: http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/182953-woman-narrates-how-gunmen-murdered-her-husband-for-being-apc-member-despite-her-pleas.html