Bayelsa Polls: Militants unleashed terror, disarm policeman on duty

The former Speaker of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly and chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Rt. Hon. Boyelayefa Debekeme narrowly escaped death on Friday as suspected militant group working for the Minister of State for Agriculture, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri attacked the Governor Lodge in Ekeremor community and disarmed the policeman on duty.

Eye witness account added the Chairman of Ekeremor local government, Hon. Billy Tobiye and the PDP ward agent, Tams Alari as well as other notable members of the PDP and traditional ruler of Ekeremor, HRH Agbodo Gbaseimo were also attacked.

The incident which happened barely less than 24 hours to the conduct of the supplementary election in Southern Ijaw local government and 101 units in the state threw the entire community into pandemonium as the militant group threatened to pull down the Lodge and other buildings belonging to PDP members in the State.

Brandishing dangerous weapons including guns, machetes and cudgel, the invaders launched attacks on the former Speaker who also double as the local government agent for the PDP and others.

Chanting war songs, the invaders who were not deterred with the security operatives descended on Rt. Hon. Debekeme and others with machetes and even threatened to kill them.

Debekeme received a deep machete cut on his head and other parts of his body, while Tams Alari and Billy Tobiye were beaten to stupor by the rampaging militants who claimed to be acting the script of their master.

The invaders disarmed the policeman on duty before the soldiers came to his rescue and recovered the arms from the hoodlums. The recovered arm is still with the soldiers.

Our source stated further that staff of the Governor’s Lodge scampered for safety as the militants took over the entire community.

As at the time of filing this report, Rt. Hon. Debekeme is receiving treatment at a hospital in Torugbene, while Alari and Tobiye are receiving treatment at an undisclosed hospital in Bomadi, Delta state.

In a related development, the Election DPO for Ekeremor the CSP Gene Mach has been alleged of ordering and supervising the distribution of election materials in the absence of the PDP agents. This development contravenes the 2010 Electoral Acts as amended.