Dickson visits, commiserates with family of slain PDP leader

Bayelsa State Governor Seriake Dickson has visited the family of the late Leader of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Seidougha Taridi, who was killed by men in Army uniform in Bayelsa State during last Saturday’s elections.

A statement by Special Adviser to the governor on Media Relations, Fidelis Soriwei yesterday, disclosed that top officials of the state government and PDP leaders accompanied Dickson on the visit.

Dickson said the state government, PDP and the people of the state were saddened by the gruesome murder of the PDP Ward Leader in the community by men in Army uniform, who were suspected to be soldiers.

He described Taridi’s death as shocking and painful, as it was a needless killing of an innocent man, who was not involved in any incident near a polling unit, but was killed in his own house.

He said that Taridi’s killing was not just a cruel murder, but also a collective assault on Bayelsa and its people.

The governor stressed that the late Taridi was in his house when soldiers were invited to shoot him and a Government House Photographer, Reginald Dei, who survived the attack.

He assured the grieving family of government’s determination to ensure that those who perpetrated the dastardly act are brought to justice.

Dickson disclosed that his administration has inaugurated a Judicial Commission of Inquiry to investigate and document the violence that rocked the elections in parts of Bayelsa State for posterity.

“We grieve with all of you and the entire Oweikorogha Community, the party and the entire state grieve with you because this gruesome murder should not have happened.

“There was no need for it. He was not fighting with anybody, he was not armed, was never near a polling station, he was not by way near electoral materials. He was in his own house and soldiers were invited to kill him.

“This is not just a gruesome act of terminating the life of a promising young man, it is a collective assault on our state and that is why I have led this delegation to personally come to condole with you, his father, wife, children, brother and sisters and all other members of the Taridi family.

“And we again state our resolve to bring the perpetrators of this gruesome murder to book in any way we can. I want to thank you all for your courage,” he said.

Reacting, family Spokesman, Mr. Temple Igunikeke, gave a detailed account of how Taridi and Dei were shot in the house.

According to him, two men whose identities he gave as Koripamo Ogili and Thankgod Deizigha led the men in Army uniform to Taridi’s residence where the deceased was resting to carry out the murder.

Igunikeke, who spoke in the presence of the father and widow of the deceased, said Taridi and Dei were resting in the house after voting to await results of the election when the two men led the assailants to the residence to shoot them.

He urged the state government and the relevant agencies to investigate the gruesome killing of Taridi and shooting of Dei to ensure that those involved in are brought to justice.