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.
To Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State, the incident of Tuesday, September 22, in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, is one he will not forget in a hurry. It is one incident that should not even happen to him and his party, the All Progressives Congress, APC, in this dispensation given the party’s ‘Change’ mantra.
Governor Oshiomhole
The governor’s popularity dates back to his days as President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC. Oshiomhole is used to being cheered even outside his state.
Some years ago when Oshiomhole was invited to deliver the inaugural lecture at the Niger Delta University, NDU, Bayelsa State when Chief Timpre Sylva was governor, he was given a rousing welcome by students. The reception was such that Oshiomhole had to disembark from his helicopter to give the students a token before leaving.
But, on Tuesday, at the APC governorship primary election, the Edo governor was not prepared for the hostile reception he was to receive.
Oshiomhole arrived Yenagoa on the eve of the primary his committee, sent by the national leadership of the APC, was to superintend, met with all the aspirants and issued guidelines for the primary. A Permanent Voter’s Card, PVC or international passport was to be used to verify and authenticate delegates, he said.
But by the time Oshiomhole arrived the venue, around 12 noon, on the day of the primary, things had gone awry, as other members of the committee had been overwhelmed by intimidation allegedly orchestrated by some members of the state executive of the party who insisted that the APC membership identity card sufficed for accreditation.
The aspirants for the APC ticket ahead of the December governorship election in Bayelsa State were not spared the harassment either. Miscreants jeered and threw jibes at them.
Oshiomhole quickly moved to control the situation and called for a meeting with the aspirants. The meeting gave the aspirants the opportunity to air their observations and complaints. Apart from Sylva and a few others who wanted the exercise to continue, majority of the aspirants made case for the cancellation of the exercise.
After the meeting, Oshiomhole, with members of the primary election committee, was still trying to take a position, when, suddenly, the gates to the venue were let ajar by security operatives and hundreds of irate youths invaded the arena disrupting proceedings.
The youths sang, “Sylva has come ooo, we go gree ooo, whether you like it or not”.In the ensuing melee, most of the aspirants flee for fear of being mobbed. Oshiomhole, who had not made any public utterance since he arrived the venue, was startled.
What happened next unnerved the Edo governor. The state Secretary of the APC climbed the podium and declared that Oshiomhole had compromised the exercise.
Next to speak were the state Chairman of the party, Mr. Tiwei Orunimighe, and Sylva who asked the youths to retreat for the exercise to commence.
Some 40 minutes later, when the accreditation was delayed, the youths again invaded the arena, this time, hauling insults at Oshiomhole, insisting that he must conduct the election. Oshiomhole kept quiet.
It was Sylva again and the state party Chairman who assured the youths, saying the election will hold.
Oshiomhole’s joker
About 20 minutes after the second invasion, the Edo governor, who had figured out an escaped plan, having called for security reinforcement from the JTF, stood up and walked to the accreditation area, about 200 meters from the arena. All this while, he shrugged off entreaties by journalists to make a comment. Oshiomhole pointed that the table be set for accreditation. By now, the JTF reinforcement had arrived. Oshiomhole said he needed to go and eat and was whisked out through the emergency back gate by over 20 heavily armed soldiers.
No sooner had the Edo governor left than the state APC Chairman ordered for accreditation at about 5:30pm. After the accreditation, done haphazardly, was over, voting started around 6:45 under floodlights at the Samson Siasia Sports Complex.
According to the result of the primary released by one Nelson Alakpa, 807 delegates out of 1510, participated with Sylva scoring 726 to emerge winner. Warman Ogoriba scored 10 votes, Francis Ebinte 6, Christopher Enai 5, Timi Alaibe 4, Charity Vedelago 4, Diekivie Ikiogha 1, Imoro Kubor 1, Austin Ogionwo 1, Ebitimi Amgbare 1, while 8 votes were voided.
Two youths from Okolobiri community in Yenagoa Local Government Area of Bayelsa State have drowned in a creek in the community as they attempted to evade arrest by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency.
The deceased, one Diepreye Diete and an unnamed youth, were said to have jumped into the Taylor Creek in Okolobiri when they sighted the NDLEA operatives that had gone on a raid of red zones in the area.
A similar scenario occurred in the community about two months ago, precisely on January 25, when two youths – Meipor Ebinimias and his unnamed friend in an attempt to escape arrest jumped into a river and drowned.
Ebinimias and his friend were said to be smoking away when operatives of the state security outfit, codenamed Operation Doo Akpo, stormed their hideout.
Not wanting to be caught in the act, Ebinimias and his friend jumped into the river where they met their waterloo – they drowned.
As for the current development, it was learnt that the incident took place on March 26, few days to the presidential election.
It was further learnt that when the operatives, who came in four trucks, stormed their hideout, the cannabis smoking youths, numbering over 15, took to their heels.
They were said to have dashed into a nearby creek in attempt to evade arrest by swimming across to a neighbouring community, Obanagha.
Our correspondent gathered that while 13 other youths were able to swim across to Obunagha, the two deceased were unfortunate as they drowned in the river.
The corpses of the Diepreye and the other person were said to be retrieved by community members as they floated on the creek.
An indigene of the community, identified simply as Piriye, said the two deceased youths, were suspected to be smoking cannabis inside an open building when the incident occurred.
Piriye said, “The youths usually gathered at the place to smoke hard drugs. Community members had in the past alerted the police on the activities of these youths and accused them of using the community to commit violent crimes in the state capital.
“Few days to the presidential election, youths were gathered as usual and on sighting the patrol vehicle they panicked and jumped into the Taylor creek. But unknown to them, that part of the river was shallow replete with dangerous objects. They must have hit their heads on those objects.
Another indigene, who claimed to be a relative of Diepreye, Mr. Panebi Jones, confirmed the incident.
He said Diepreye was an undegraduate of the state-owned Niger Delta University, Amassoma.
Though he condemned the use of illicit drugs by youths, he, however, condemned the drug agency for not making any attempt to save the drowning youths for onward prosecution.
Jones, who said he was going to petition the agency for unprofessionalism, said, “It is true the incident occurred. It happenned precisely a few days to the presidential election. That was the second time the incident was taking place in the area.
“The group of boys who were involved in smoking weeds, ended up in fear of arrest, wanted to escape through the river.
“They NDLEA did not make any arrest. Two of the boys drowned while others escaped. We want to call on the NDLEA that if they are fighting drug cartel or users, they should also try to save them and not allowing them to die. They should have rescued and arrested them. The essence of pursuit is to arrest, incidentally, they did not make any arrest. The two incidents, there was no single arrest. So, the aim of going there was defeated.”
Jones, who said the use of drug was not a death sentence, urged the agency to always strive for arrest instead of allowing their victims to die.
A bomb scare threw residence of PDP Road in the Yenizue-Gene suburb of Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, yesterday.
The incident took place at about 1.30pm near an estate housing air force personnel when a man said to have dropped two laden bags suspected to contain explosives.
Though the identify of the man could not be ascertained but his movement was said to have caused panic and suspicion of some vigilant residents and air force personnel who confronted him.
The man abandoned his two bags and fled the scene when questioned.
His fleeing led to the panic along the road as people stopped motorists and other pedestrians from walking towards the road until men of the anti-bomb squad were called to check the content of the bag.
The Commission of Police, Mr. Hilary Opara said that the operatives opened the bags and found out that they contain electric wire.
The Commissioner of Police, Mr. Hilary Opara, who dispatched his men to quickly investigate the content of the bag, said he dispatched the anti-bomb squad of his command to investigate the bags.
There was heavy security presence in Yenagoa and its environs Friday ahead of Saturday’s wedding ceremony of President Goodluck Jonathan adopted daughter.
Armed security operatives were stationed at strategic points along the major highways leading to the state capital as well as the roads to Otuoke, the President hometown.
President Goodluck Jonathan (L), being received by the Bayelsa State Governor, Hon. Seriake Dickson, on arrival at the Government House helipad, Yenagoa, for his daughter’s marriage ceremony.
Some of the roads including that leading to the Yenagoa residence of the President at the Kpansia suburb were shut to traffic from the Isaac Boro expressway end.
Residents in such areas were forced to go through the Melford Okilo road to access their homes.
Also, more policemen and officials of the FRSC were drafted to the major highways to help control the high volume of traffic on the roads.
Some motorists coming from Edepie axis of Yenagoa were forced to make a detour around Opolo to link the Elebele road before connecting the Sani Abacha expressway.
Also, the Azikoro-Agbura road leading to Otuoke was filled with armed security operatives monitoring the movement of visitors to the serene town.
President Goodluck Jonathan, the First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, and other top government functionaries were said to have arrived in the state for event slated for Otuoke in Ogbia local government area of the state.
As at press time, there was no sign that the popular Saturday Kpansia market, which attracts traders from neighbouring states would hold.
