Gunmen kill APC deputy ward chairman in Bayelsa

By Samuel Oyadongha

Yenagoa—Tension heightened, yesterday, between  members of the All Progressives Congress, APC, and the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, following the killing of Diseye Dickson, the deputy ward chairman of APC, Ward 1 in Odi, Kolokuma-Opokuma Local Government Area of the state by gunmen.

The deceased, Diseye Dickson was reportedly shot in Odi community at 11p.m., Wednesday by the gunmen, who were allegedly clad in military uniform.

Though reports claimed the deceased was shot during a shootout between policemen and the gunmen, about eight in number, in a failed kidnap attempt of Chief Watson Ogoriba, a businessman and elder brother of the former member of  House of Representatives and chieftain of the APC, Warman Ogoriba.

A community source said: “It was the case of failed kidnap attempt. It is not about PDP or the APC. When the kidnappers arrived the community, the vigilante people alerted the Police in Kaiama Divisional Command and they engaged the suspected kidnappers in a shoot-out. The victim may have been caught in a cross fire.”

The source further revealed that aside from the deceased Dieseye Dickson, a woman was also injured on the buttocks by stray bullet.

A member of the House of Representatives representing Yenagoa-Kolokuma/Opokuma federal constituency, Douye Diri, who confirmed the incident, said it was a case of foiled kidnap attempt and not a party conflict.

But the leadership of the APC in the state through the Sylva/Igiri Campaign Organisation alleged that the killing was carried out by suspected thugs hired by the PDP.

Director of Media and Publicity of the Sylva/Igiri campaign Organisation, Chief Nathan Egba, in a statement said,  “As at this morning (yesterday), the corpse of Mr. Dickson, was still lying in a pool of his own blood where he was killed. Do note that this is the second killing being carried out by the PDP since the campaigns started.

“Recall that Mr. Andrew June, a ward chairman of our party in Ekeremor Local Government Area was macheted to death. We condemn this act of desperation by the PDP to continually attack and intimidate our supporters.”