Breaking: Dame Patience Jonathan, PDP Chairman, linked to Rivers Election Violence

The former first lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, PDP Chairman have been found linked to politically motivated killings in Rivers State during the 2015 general elections.
Several witnesses who testified before the Commission of Inquiry probing politically motivated killings in Rivers State during the 2015 general elections accused the former First Lady, Patience Jonathan, of having a hand in the series of violence recorded during the polls.
Out of the 97 allegations of killings received by the Commission, 94 of them occurred between November 15, 2014, and April 11, 2015 – a monthly average of 19 killings in the five months during the election, according to the final report of the Inquiry exclusively obtained by PREMIUM TIMES.
The Commission was instituted in April by the immediate past Rivers State government, to probe politically motivated killings and destruction of properties before and during the elections.
The inquiry opened on May 4, and undertook seven days of public hearings during which it heard over 18 hours of oral testimony, in respect of 43 memoranda concerning incidents of violence from 11 of the 23 local government areas in Rivers State.
On May 22, the Commission submitted its final report to the Rivers State government.

“Evidence presented to the Inquiry included allegations and perceptions that either the first lady in person on persons claiming to represent her interests, including one Evans Bipi, who is a member of the Rivers State House of Assembly, exercised undue or negative influence on the security agencies in Rivers State or on other persons or entities involved in the violence reported,” the report stated.
“The Inquiry was unable to put these allegations to the First Lady and could not, therefore, verify or form an independent view of these allegations.
“They are recorded here as proof that they were made not necessarily as confirmation of the allegations made.”

PREMIUM TIMES has been unable to reach Mrs. Jonathan. Those close to her said she is vacationing abroad with her husband.
They also prefer that she responds to the allegations herself.
‘Unwilling’ security agencies
The Inquiry received evidence of 83 incidents of destruction of property, including acts of vandalization or arson during the elections, the report said.
No allegations of political violence was recorded after the elections.

“It is quite possible that the numbers or tallies on similar incidents maintained or produced by the NPF (Nigerian Police Force) or other security agencies could be different,” the report said.
“The Inquiry received ample evidence indicating that security agencies were unwilling or unable to attend to incidents of political violence or that in some locations, they were overwhelmed by the intensity and frequency of reported incidents.

In the course of its sittings, the Commission met in confidence with the Department of State Services in Rivers State, and then arranged to meet with the Rivers State Police Command.
On May 20, the day scheduled for the meeting at the police headquarters, the police instead requested the Commission to submit a questionnaire to be completed and returned at an agreed time.
The Commission’s questionnaire did not receive any response from the police as at the time the report was finalised.

“The attitude of the security agencies that the Inquiry encountered was largely defensive, tending towards avoidance of the subject. This corroborated the perception of institutional indifference, reluctance or avoidance reported by most witnesses and victims.”

Several witnesses testified to killings and destruction of lives and properties across the state.

Download full report Here


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