As Bayelya state gets ready for the December 5 governorship election, kidnappings and violent attacks have placed the residents of Yanogoa in restiveness.
There have been accusations among the political elites in the state regarding the reasons as to why the anomalies have lingered on.
The Sun reports that the state government and some non-governmental organisations are pointing fingers at the opposition for the climate of fear that is upon the state, while the opposition has placed the blame at the doorsteps of the Governor Henry Seriake Dickson government.
There are indications that shortly after the 31st state security meeting in July, Dickson disclosed that the state government had uncovered plans by some political elements to destabilise the state. He disclosed that the state government was aware of plans to secretly recruit and camp unrepentant cultists to carry out acts of brigandage and violence in the coming weeks so as to discredit the state government.
At that time, he said “I will like to use this opportunity to caution those who feel they can instigate crisis in our state under the guise of politics. Let me also caution particularly, our young people who are misguided clearly into thinking that they can engage in one form of brigandage or criminality in the name of politics.
“We have stamped out cultism in this state before, but we are seeing some kind of resurgence, since the political activities commenced. I am aware that there are some movements of undesirable elements with a view to camping in some areas of our state to unleash terror on our people. These are cultists who appear to have some political affiliation.
“We are closely monitoring, and I will like to warn those misguided young people and whoever that is behind them to desist forthwith, because we will not tolerate. The security officers and their men and the good people of our state, working in unison will stamp out all criminal and nefarious activities.”
In a later investigation, it was found that 10 high profile kidnappings have taken place after Dickson’s disclosure, while five mobile policemen have been killed by kidnappers.
On Thursday, August 6, as if having a premonition of the attack on Friday, August 7, 2015, the state commissioner of police, Paul Okafor, after the 32nd state security meeting, announced the commencement of registration of engine boats with a speed capacity of 200-horsepower and above plying the waterways of the state.
He noted that intelligence gathering at the disposal of security agencies revealed that, in recent times, kidnappers had been carrying out their operations in the state with high-speed capacity boats. Okafor expressed optimism that registering such boats for easy identification would help to check the menace.
The security measure, however, appeared late, with the killing of five soldiers and one mobile policeman in cold blood on Friday August 7. It was reported that Gunmen in four speedboats attacked the Joint Task Force (JTF) base in Nembe. This development has further heightened fears in Bayelsa state while residents still suspect that the worse is yet to occur.
A group, Ijaw Young Professionals (IYP) which has sympathy for the Dickson government has blamed the former governor, Timipre Sylva and the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the attack. It said the violence and killing was to create a sense of insecurity in the state ahead of the December 5 election.
In a statement, coordinator of the group, Barrister Seighfa Tonye-Brown, alleged that the latest incident was among the plans being hatched by the opposition party to unleash, between now and the election, tension and insecurity in the state in order to force the hand of President Muhammadu Buhari to declare a state of emergency and possibly take over the state. The strategy, he said, would also lead to change in the security high command in Bayelsa State as a ploy to claim that the change was necessary because of high level of violence and insecurity in the state.
Tonye- Brown who pointedly accused Sylva of sponsoring the violence, appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari not to be drawn into the Sylva-led APC antics, stating that violence had been the opposition leader’s stock in trade.
He added that “Already, this attack on the military men is a clear pointer to the execution of the evil plot and we are reliably informed that more sinister actions are on the way. To former governor, Timipre Sylva, violence is a normal way of life. The resort to violence as the only means of winning elections in this state is no longer fashionable. The people of the only Ijaw state say no to violence. We reject APC and its brand of violent politics. Their hope that with increased violence and insecurity will force Buhari to declare a state of emergency in Bayelsa State has failed,”.
In a swift reaction to the allegations against him, Sylva has distanced himself from the violence, describing the allegations by IYP as “wild, unsubstantiated and irresponsible”
Sylva, in a statement by his media aide, Doifie Buokoribo noted that the blame of insecurity should be put on Dickson. He called on the Inspector- General of Police to launch an investigation into the Nembe killings.
According to him, the Dickson government has failed woefully in securing lives and property, but instead has overtly and covertly procured and traded in violence to intimidate political opponents and any voice of reason.
The statement reads in part “That same government has embarked on all manners of subterfuge, including facilitating arms to non-state actors essentially to prevent the change that is imminent in Bayelsa Sta te. It is no doubt that Sylva, as the symbol of that change, is the target of this schizoid propaganda by faceless groups, paid and unpaid writers, and political jobbers.
“Sylva is unperturbed. Sylva abhors violence. He has never promoted violence under any guise. He only represents the voice of millions of Bayelsa people seeking change in the affairs of the state, a change to the gross ineptitude, pathetic profligacy and grand larceny of Mr. Henry Seriake Dickson.”
Meanwhile the timely intervention of operatives of the Department of State Security (DSS) saved dancehall/pop singer, Timaya, from being robbed of his valuables by youths of Bayelsa state recently.
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