National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), has adjourned for an accelerated hearing, the substantive petitions filed in the matters of evictions and illegal demolitions in Ogoniland and Abonnema Wharf community in Rivers State.

The order for an accelerated hearing was made by the NHRC at its inaugural sitting in the South East zone which took place on October 2, 2014.

During the session held at the Federal High Court, Enugu, two motions filed in respect of the alleged persistent violation of the rights of some Ogoni farmers to own and access their farmlands, were mentioned for hearing.

Also billed for hearing, was a motion seeking an order to restrain the Rivers State Government from developing the parcel of land upon which Abonnema Wharf community existed before it was demolished.

It would be recalled that a coalition of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) filed the petitions at the NHRC following allegations of evictions, illegal demolitions and related human rights violations made against the Rivers State government by members of the affected communities.

At the hearing, the petitioners through their counsel, Chibueze Okorie, urged the commission to proceed with the hearing of the motions to restrain the government from further developing or forcefully acquiring more plots of land in the communities, pending the final determination of the substantive petitions.

But the government, represented by the Attorney General, Worgu Boms , and the Director of Civil Litigation, Dame Ngozi Iroegbu, opposed the hearing of the petitioners’ motions on the ground that there were pending preliminary objections bordering on the jurisdiction of the commission which had been raised by the respondents and were yet to be resolved by the commission.

After hearing the arguments, the three-man panel of the commission, headed by the Chairman, Prof. Chidi Odinkalu, held that it would adopt an accelerated hearing of both petitions.