By Jimitota Onoyume
PORT HARCOURT— Rivers State Commission of Inquiry into politically motivated killings in the state sat, yesterday, in Port Harcourt despite a subsisting court order restraining it from sitting.

Counsel to Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the state, Mr Emmanuel Aguma, who drew the attention of the commission to the court order described the action of the commission as a violation of the rule of law.

He said his client, the PDP, had instructed him not to appear before the commission anymore so as not to aid and abet its alleged illegalities.

Aguma said that since the attention of the commission was brought to the court order what he expected was for the commission to immediately hear the issue rather than defer it to Wednesday this week and still go ahead to take witnesses yesterday.

“We brought a copy of the court order to the commission yesterday. The commission, after our appeal, decided to take full argument on the matter on Wednesday. The least the commission could have done was to hear the court order. It is an ex parte motion that lasts for 14 days and it lapses on May 13.

“My clients have instructed that we no longer appear before the commission, so, that we don’t aid and abet the flouting of the subsisting court order that restrains the commission from sitting. To appear before it will violate every known principle of rule of law,” he said.

Chairman of the Commission, Professor Chidi Odinkalu, said he got to know of the court order only yesterday. While accepting a copy of the order, Odinkalu adjourned till Wednesday to hear arguments on all sides on the issue.

Meantime, the Commission went ahead to entertain witnesses. Some of them who appeared lamented the violence they suffered during the electioneering period.