Journalists injured as thugs attack APC event in Bayelsa

Some journalists escaped death by the whisker as hired thugs invaded the venue of a press briefing in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, on Sunday.

The journalists sustained injuries as the thugs attacked the press briefing at the Sagbama Local Government Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Chairman of the Federated Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Bayelsa State Council, Tife Owolabi, was among the journalists injured as the thugs destroyed chairs while hitting those present with rods.

Owolabi bled from the forehead and left hand while Jacobson Park of People’s FM 93.1 had a swollen hand where he was hit by the thugs.

The thugs who arrived at the venue in a bus and with dangerous weapons left everyone scampering for safety.

The briefing was temporarily halted until security men, including Operation Doo Akpo, the state security outfit, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and the Nigerian Police, arrived at Da Crib Hotel, venue of the event.

The briefing later held with the Chairman, Sagbama Local Government Chapter of the APC, Jonah Abeke, announcing the indefinite suspension of seven members for alleged anti-party activities as the gale of suspensions in the party continued.

Those suspended are Peres Peretu, Matthew Karimo, Major Oputa, Tangi Samuel, King Bolouyi Sufadoh, Goodluck Ebomu and Youdio-gwei Benjamin.

Abeke said, “In the 2023 National Assembly, presidential and gubernatorial elections in Bayelsa State, they openly worked for Gov. Douye Diri and Alhaji Atiku Abubakar of the People’s Democratic Party. They made no pretences about their anti-party activities.

“It is on this note that we, the under-signed executives of the Sagbama Local Government Area APC, hereby suspend them indefinitely from the party.

“Their suspension is hereby transmitted to the State Executive Committee of our party for ratification.”

Abeke also condemned the attack on the journalists who were invited to cover the event.