The Judicial Commission of Inquiry set up by the Rivers State government on the activities of the disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad and related offences, has sacked a petition that prayed for an end to the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) activities in Oyigbo, Rivers State.

Oyigbo Indigenous Lawyers Association (OILA) had in a petition filed by its counsel, O.C. Higher-King, asked the panel to order for an end to the activities of the proscribed IPOB in the entire Oyigbo Local Government Area (LGA).

In the petition filed on behalf of the people of the LGA, OILA also prayed the panel to ask the Rivers State government to rebuild public infrastructure destroyed in Oyigbo LGA following hoodlums hijack of the #EndSARS protests in the area.

However, the panel chaired by Hon. Justice Chukwunenye Uriri (retd.), on Friday sacked the petition, explaining that the petition was not part of its term of reference, which concerns police brutality.

After the decision of the counsel, Higher-King told newsmen that the IPOB hoisted its flag in Oyigbo on the feelings that the area had been abandoned by the state government.

Further noting that there were cases of police and military brutality during the recent mayhem in Oyigbo, he said:

“We recommend that the state government take over Oyigbo and own Oyigbo because the bride that is abandoned is public property. That is the problem we have, but they have struck it out.

“We also demanded that they should rebuild all the damaged infrastructure in Oyigbo, including Police stations and all the courts.”