Jonathan’s cousin abducted with his uncle discovered dead

Former President Goodluck Jonathan’s cousin, Samuel Oki, who was abducted alongside the former leader’s uncle and foster father, Chief Inegite Jonathan, was on Friday found dead by fishermen in Otuoke, Bayelsa State.

Premium Times reports that relatives confirmed that the body of Oki, aged 35, was found floating on Otuoke river, two days after the abduction.

Asini Butswat, the police spokesperson for Bayelsa State, told the newspaper that report of the incident has reached the Police, but could not immediately give details of what transpired. He however said he was working to get briefings from the Divisional Police Officer in charge of the area.

It would be recalled that armed gunmen had on Wednesday kidnapped 72-year-old Chief Inegite Jonathan, but the abduction of Oki was not immediately noticed until several hours later.

Fishermen in Otuoke community on Friday found his body already decomposing, this raised fears about the safety of the former president’s 72-year-old uncle, whose whereabouts was still not known by Friday afternoon.

According to the report, Igbogamini Paul, a relation of the deceased, said both men were kidnapped on Wednesday.

Mr. Paul added that a gunshot they heard during the abduction may have targeted at Mr. Oki

Jonathan’s cousin abducted with his uncle discovered dead

Soldiers arrest ballot box snatchers in Bayelsa

Two persons suspected to be agents of one of the political parties involved in Saturday’s supplementary governorship election in Bayelsa have been arrested for allegedly snatching a ballot box.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the suspects were arrested by soldiers at Otuokpoti Unit 1, Ward 2, Ogbia Local Government Area, where the box was allegedly snatched.

The suspects were said to have forcefully carried the ballot box while polling was ongoing at the unit.

The incident caused pandemonium at the unit but after the suspects were taken away, accreditation and voting resumed.

An Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) official in the ward, who did not want to be named, confirmed that security reinforcement had been sent to the area and that election would continue.

 A member of the security team in the ward said the suspects would be taken to Yenagoa, the state capital, while investigation would be carried out on the incident.However, police in the state said they were yet to receive report on the incident.

Spokesman of the command, Mr. Asinim Butswat, said it was possible that such incident occurred in the polling area but that the command had not received report on it.

Soldiers arrest ballot box snatchers in Bayelsa