Armed thugs invade APC event, attack journalists in Bayelsa

Gale of suspension continues in APC
Some journalists in Bayelsa State, yesterday, sustained injuries as some hired thugs attacked the venue of a press briefing organised by the Sagbama Local Government Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Yenagoa.

Chairman of the Federated Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Bayelsa State Council, Tife Owolabi, was among the journalists injured. Owolabi bled from the forehead and left hand while Jacobson Park of People’s FM 93.1 had swelling in his hand where he was hit with a rod.

Everyone scampered for safety, and the press briefing was temporarily halted until security operatives arrived at the scene. The briefing was 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 Governor Douye Diri and Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). They made no pretense about their anti-party activities.

“It is on this note that we, the undersigned 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 assignment.

This is coming a day after the Southern Ijaws and Ekeremor Local Government chapters of the APC in Bayelsa suspended the Minister of State, Petroleum (oil) Heineken Lokpobiri, and the former governorship aspirant in the state, David Lyon, from the party.