The rising spate of violence in Bayelsa State continued at
the weekend as the Deputy Clerk of the state House of Assembly, Hon. Geoffrey
Nemine, was shot dead in his Yenagoa home.
The killing coincided with the admission by the Independent
National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the state that there were “pockets” of
violence involving some ad hoc staff who were hospitalised following injuries
sustained during last Saturday’s polls in the state.
THISDAY gathered that Nemine, was shot along Human Rights Road,
Agudama-Epie within Yenagoa, the state capital. The tragic incident occurred at
about 7.50p.m.
The deceased who is in his late 50s was an indigene of
Ekeremor town, and was shot at close range on the head in the presence of his
wife.
While a police source said the deceased was hit by a stray
bullet provoked by violent clash between two rival cult groups, eyewitnesses
have it that the gunmen who numbered over 10 invaded the deceased’s wife’s
store located in front of his house where she sells recharge cards,
dispossessed the woman of her cash from the day’s sales and were already
leaving the scene when she raised the alarm, an action said to have angered the
invaders who came back and shot the husband who was sitting in front of the
shop at close range.
The police, it was learnt, have arrested a suspect in
connection with the killing.
The state police command spokesman, Asinim Boswat confirmed
the incident.
Boswat said Nemine was hit by a stray bullet from a clash by
rival cult groups in the area and that one of the ring leaders is in custody
while the police are tracking down the others.
Butswat however explained that the police are yet to verify
the veracity of the accounts by eyewitnesses at the scene of the shooting.
He said: “We received a distress call of a clash between two
rival cult groups, the DPO Akenfa Division led a team to the scene but before
our men arrived there the cultists had fled. The man was hit by a stray bullet
and died”.
The police have commenced investigation into the matter and
the culprits will be brought to justice.”
Meanwhile, the INEC at a press conference in Yenagoa monday
lamented the kidnap of some of commission’s ad hoc staff by unknown persons in
Brass area of the state.
The state Resident Electoral Commissioner, Baritor Kpaghih
who confirmed the incident lamented that the ad hoc staff were held hostage at
Brass and that it took the efforts of the Joint Task Force (JTF) to secure
their release from irate youths who had demanded for collation sheets before
the House of Assembly election could hold in the constituency.
He said there was no election in the constituency as well as
Ogbia II and that election will only be possible in the two areas when the
communities come together and guarantee the safety of INEC personnel and
materials.
Kpaghih however commended what he described as partnership
among some stakeholders including the media and security agencies which to a
great extent resulted in peaceful polls.
He also disclosed that in a marked departure from the past,
some aggrieved candidates are taking their cases to the election petition
tribunal rather than taking the laws into their hands.
In the results of the House of Assembly declared so far, out
of 22 constituencies, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) clinched 20 seats
while the All Progressives Congress (APC) and All Progressive Grand Alliance
(APGA) won a seat each.
No comments:
Post a Comment