In the light of the violence and intimidation of voters by security forces that marred the Osun governorship rerun on Thursday, gunmen and thugs unleashed terror on the PDP secretariat on Brass Island, Bayelsa state on the same day. The PDP secretariat was attacked by suspected political thugs who also shot on security forces in the vicinity.
Five gunmen supposedly led by a certain Aboye from the neighbouring Rivers State, invaded the community in the early hours of Thursday and shot indiscriminately in the area.
Reacting to the incident, the Caretaker Chairman of the Brass Local Government Area, Victor Isaiah; the Deputy Speaker, Bayelsa State House of Assembly, Abraham Ingobere; and the Senator representing Bayelsa East Senatorial District, Senator Ben Murray-Bruce, condemned the attacks that they allege was carried out by thugs loyal to the opposition All Progressives Congress in the area.
The caretaker chairman condemned the activities of APC chieftains in the area accusing them of being the root cause of the crisis in the local government including the killing and maiming of local residents.
According to Mr. Isaiah;
“The APC thugs, armed with AK-47 rifles, invaded the Twon-Brass community in the early hours of today (Thursday) and attacked the PDP secretariat. They launched manhunts for the PDP members in the area. The thugs were led by Aboye. The onslaught lasted several hours. During the shootout, the PDP secretariat was attacked, while they opened fire on the security operatives.”
He further alleged that the attack was carried out on the orders of several APC leaders who were supposed to attend a funeral in Twon Brass this weekend.
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He also bemoaned the state of insecurity in the local government while he called on the Inspector-General of Police and other security operatives in the state to be alive to their constitutional responsibility of securing the lives and property of people in Bayesla state.
Senator Murray Bruce also added his voice saying authorities needed to invest more in security as he decried the sorry state of the Police station on Brass Island.
“The structure is not befitting. There is the need for the police authorities to invest more in their personnel. Mr. IG, there is the need for more investment in personnel because of the sensitive nature of their constitutional responsibilities.” The Senator said.
The Deputy Speaker, Bayelsa State House of Assembly, Ingobere, also called on authorities to conduct a thorough investigation of the attacks as well as the arrest of the culprits to serve as a deterrent to others.
The police spokesperson for Bayelsa state, Mr. Asinim Butswat however downplayed the political aspect of the incident saying it was a clash between cults, adding that he could not tell if the PDP secretariat was attacked.
“I have not been briefed that police operatives in the area were attacked. I am also not aware that the PDP secretariat was attacked. We are investigating the incident to know the cults that were involved in the clash. Also, nobody was injured during the clash,” he said.