MINNA, AUGUST 31, 2016 – The sitting of the Commission of Inquiry into the civil disturbances in Pandogari, Lambata and Barkuta towns of Niger, has been shifted to Sept. 5, its Chairman, Abdullahi Mikhail, said on Wednesday.Mikhail said in Minna during the commission’s inaugural sitting, that the adjournment was to allow service of witness statements on the counsel representing Fulani community in Lambata.
The chairman also said it was to allow parties in the matter, regularise their documents and prepare properly for appearance before the commission.
The commission’s counsel, Mr Adamu Panti, had called his first witness when it was realised that counsel representing the Fulani community was not properly served.
“The counsel for the Fulani has not been served because we didn’t even know they had a counsel until we came for the sitting this morning.
“The Fulani’s counsel is entitled to all the statements of the witness to enable him go through it and know what questions to ask.
“So we shall be asking for a short adjournment to enable us regularise these documents and come properly before the commission,” he added.
The Fulani’s’ counsel, Mr Jibrin Kallamu, did not object to the request for adjournment, saying it was the appropriate thing to do.
The chairman, however, cautioned all parties in the matter against seeking unnecessary adjournments as the commission has only two months to submit its report.
The commission was set up by Gov. Sani Bello to determine the immediate and remote causes of the disturbances that occurred last month in the three towns, which led to loss of lives and property.
