By Soni Daniel, Northern Region Editor

The National Human Rights Commission has summoned the Chief of Naval Staff, CNS, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, to appear before it to answer questions on why officers and men of the Nigerian Navy violated the rights of a Nigerian construction firm at the Navy Town, Asokoro, Abuja.

The NHRC is asking the Naval Chief to report along with the Managing Director of the Naval Building and Construction Company Limited, Commodore Adbul Adamu and some of his identified officers and men, who allegedly brutalised some workers of a building firm, Lexy Nigeria Limited, which has a subsisting joint venture building project with the Navy.

The Executive Secretary of the NHRC, Prof Bem Angwe, confirmed to Vanguard that the commission had received a petition from the Managing Director of Lexy Nigeria Limited, Prince Leye Adetipe, accusing the naval officials of breaching his rights, those of his company and workers.

Adetipe in the petition accused the Navy of forcefully terminating his contract and illegally engaging other firms, when he demanded for details of the cash realised from the sale of houses already built and sold from their joint venture.

Adetipe said the termination of the joint partnership was in breach of the agreement he entered into with the Navy on February 19, 2015 and asked the NHRC to investigate his claims and cause the Navy to make restitution.