Ahead of the November 11 governorship election, the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has called on the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to investigate the attack on Bayelsa communities with a view to unraveling those behind it.
Addressing a press conference at the party headquarters in Abuja on Tuesday, National Publicity Secretary of the party, Debo Ologunagba said the call became necessary following alleged report that the thugs that attacked some communities particularly Opu-Nembe in Nembe Local Government Area were allegedly “recruited, sponsored and armed by the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The party said it has become pertinent to alert Nigerians and the International community of the APC resort to violence in Bayelsa for rejecting its candidate in the November 11, 2023 Governorship election.
Ologunagba said: “The PDP in the strongest term condemns the invasion, killing and maiming of innocent citizens in Bayelsa State communities particularly Opu-Nembe in Nembe Local Government Area by thugs.
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“It is clear that the intension of the APC in this invasion and killing in Nembe is to intimidate and instill fear in the people so as to prevent them from freely exercising their democratic right to vote a governor of their choice, having realized that there is no way their candidate, Chief Timipre Silva, can win in a peaceful, free and fair election in Bayelsa State.
“The PDP is alarmed by pictorial and video evidence of the gruesome murder of promising Nembe youths including the only son of a widow by the APC thugs allegedly led by one Kojo Sam, who on February 15, 2023, killed three youths in the bid to subdue the community for openly expressing their rejection of Chief Sylva for neglecting and allegedly unleashing violence on their communities over the years.”
Consequently, the party called on the Inspector General of Police to immediately wade into the situation in Nembe and indeed Bayelsa State, adding that the “IGP should as a matter of urgency, launch an investigation into the alleged connivance of certain police officials in the invasion and killing in Opu-Nembe.
“The PDP also urges the IGP to invite Chief Timipre Sylva for questioning as well as investigate the petitions already filed to his office by the people of Nembe with the view to apprehending the thugs and killers who unleashed mayhem on the community recently.”
