Tony John, Port Harcourt
An ad hoc staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Marvin Kpia-ue, yesterday, alleged that commander of Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (F-SARS) ordered the shooting at a collation centre in Khana Local Government Area, Rivers State.
Kpia-ue told a Judicial Commission of Inquiry investigating the violence and killings that occurred during the presidential and House of Assembly elections in Rivers State, on February 23 and March 9 respectively, that the shooting, which took place at Khana council collation centre, leading to the death of Dr. Ferry Gberegbe, was ordered by the police.
He said he served as a registration area centre technical support staff, in charge of results e-collation at Khana council collation centre, alleging that the state commander of F-SARS whispered to his men before the shooting started.
He claimed that the shooting led to the death of Gberegbe, a collation agent of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
“An uproar started, when a lightly tinted Hilux van drove into the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) premises conveying F-SARS men. At that point, a warning tape that was used to barricade everyone from the collation centre was removed.
“Then, the unarmed civilians there started an outcry, shouting ‘Akin Fakorede, you have come to subvert the will of the people. It will not work; this is Ogoniland.
“I saw one F-SARS officer approached the passenger’s side of the van, put his head into the vehicle and was whispered to by his boss. The next thing I heard was sporadic gunshots by the F-SARS officers,” he said.
The ad hoc staff said there was pandemonium and he noticed that the PDP agent fell down shouting in pain, after being hit by a bullet on his lower abdomen.
He said: “While I was running because of the shooting for safety, I saw the late Gberegbe fell to the ground. While I tried to help him, I noticed I was also shot on my right thigh.
“While he was shouting in pain and holding his stomach, he (Gberegbe) removed his hand on the place he was shot and I saw the bullet hole.
“Afterwards, I was rushing to a hospital in Bori, Khana and was later taken to Braithwaite Memorial Specialist Hospital where Dr. Nsirim took charge of my case.”