There is palpable fear and panic in Bayelsa including the immediate family of the State Governor, Hon. Seriake Dickson and other Political Office Holders in the State following anonymous text messages threatening to kidnap their family members.
The fear was further deepened yesterday following the reported abduction of one of the Sisters to the State Governor in his hometown Toruo-Rua in Sagbama Local Government area by unidentified gunmen and the deployment of armed Policemen around the country home of the governor in Yenagoa and Sagbama.
But the Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to the Governor, Mr. Daniel Markson-Iworiso, dismissed the reported abduction as a rumor and a deliberate act of falsehood by enemies of the Present administration.
It was gathered that the intelligence unit of the Nigerian Police and the State Security Service had weekend stumbled on a report that there was a ploy by some armed gunmen to embark on terror attack on the state and mass abduction of family members of the political appointees in the state including the Governor and his deputy, Rear Admiral John Jonah.
A check by our correspondent showed a new pattern of kidnap in the last two months involving the abduction of expatriates and Nigerians for ransom, as over 15 persons including the workers of the Italians, Korean and Dutch oil workers have been kidnapped. The Mother of the Bayelsa Speaker, Hon. Kombowei Benson was also kidnapped on Monday and her whereabouts yet unknown.
In his reaction to the development, the Chief Press Secretary (CPS), Mr. Daniel Markson-Iworiso, dismissed the reported abduction of the Governor’s sister as a rumor, “It is not true that any of the Governor’s sister or any member of his family for that matter was kidnapped. It is all rumors and our people must be careful the way they go about spreading false information. We are not ruling out the fact, this again is the handiwork of our detractors and their plot once again has failed.”
Contacted on the development, the Spokesman of the State Police Command, Mr. Fidelis Odunna said though the reported abduction of the sister to the Governor was not true, the command have deployed police men to the home community of the Governor to forestall any such plans.
