RIVERS RERUN: Your Panel is Unconstitutional - Court tells IG

A Federal High Court in Abuja has declared a 15-member panel that investigated violations during the December 10, 2016 Rivers State election rerun as “unconstitutional”.
​Rivers State Governor, Nyesom ​Wike​, had in January​ approached the Court for an order ​to stop the probe.

In the ex-parte motion by his counsel, Mike Ozekhome​ ​(SAN​)​, Wike prayed the court to “restrain the defendants or their agents from enforcing or executing matters contained in a letter the IGP wrote to Wike on December 20, 2016 on the probe”.
In a ruling on Tuesday, the judge, Gabriel Kolawole, said the composition of the panel was not known to law.
The panel was raised by the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, to probe allegations of violations and violence during the legislative re-run elections.

​Recall that t​he police​ panel had indicted23 Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) officials for their roles in the Rivers State rerun elections.
​The​ Special Investigation Panel ha​d also​ asked INEC Chairman Prof. Mahmood Yakubu to release the agency’s administrative secretaries in Anambra and Plateau states for interrogation.
The police informed INEC of the arrests in two letters to the chairman by the Chairman of the Special Joint Investigation Panel, DCP Damian Okoro.

The first letter reads in part: “I write to inform you of the arrest of the under-listed staff of the commission who served in the 10th December 2016 Rivers State National/State Legislative re-run elections.
“The names of the officers and present posting are: Ewatade P. Taiwo (Oyo); Aminu Karimu (Oyo); Adedokun Najeem Ayotunde (Oyo); Balogun Funmilayo (Oyo); Agams O. Kadiri (Oyo); Akinwande R. Adesoji(Oyo); Lukeman Olabimpe(Oyo); Tiamiyu R. Arowolo(Oyo); Akinwoye Amodu A (Anambra) and Iro Abali Mba(Anambra).
“Others are Enuke Patrick(Anambra); Nwosu Oluchi G.(Anambra); Arukwe Chinelo(Anambra); Henry Owokure(Anambra); Nwoha Yusuf(Anambra); Hussaina Yahaya Tanko(Plateau); Gayus Hassan(Plateau); Ivase Stephen Aondona(Plateau); Abdullahi Ogabo(Plateau); Gwatana Jibril Joseph( Plateau); and Mohammed L. Sittu(Plateau).”
The second letter, which is dated January 16, 2017, states: “My earlier letter dated 13th January 2017 in respect of the arrest of 21 electoral officers who served as Electoral Officers in the 10th December 2016 Rivers State National/ State Legislative re-run elections refers.
“I wish to inform you that Mrs. Mary Tunkoyo, the electoral officer at Emohua LGA and Mr. James Ogwuche who served as electoral officer at Ahoada West LGA are also in custody of the panel.
“More so, in the course of the investigation, the need to seek certain clarification/information from the Administrative Secretaries of Anambra and Plateau states has become imperative.
“You are kindly requested to inform and release the two officers for interview at the Special Joint Investigation Panel at Commissioners Lounge, Ground Floor, Nigeria Police Force Headquarters, Abuja.”
“The panel is questioning some of those invited.
“One key area of investigation which led to the invitation of the electoral officers borders on alleged bribery of poll officers, interference with voting process by politicians and outright snatching of ballot boxes. These electoral officers are at advantage in giving more insights into what happened during the re-run elections,” a source said, adding:
“So far, all the officers are innocent until the investigation panel establishes any case beyond reasonable doubt against them.” The 15-man panel, headed by DCP Damien Okoro, comprises the police and the Department of State Services (DSS) with investigative, forensic and technical experts.​”​