I weep for Nigeria,
for a serving elected (picked) governor to constitute himself to a nuisance is
absolutely unbelievable, watching the video tape will make you weep for Bayelsa
State and Nigeria as a whole.
The Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson, on Monday
led a gang of thugs to attack a Federal High court in Bayelsa, the video shows
the governor, dressed in traditional Ijaw blazers, walking into the court premises,
accompanied by his police guards and hangers on, before hooligans, including
rifle wielding police officers, invaded and attacked the court.
The thugs were chanting “we no go gree, for this state, e
no possible” as they walked into a court hearing. Loud gunshots could be heard
shortly before the hooligans began breaking glasses and destroying properties
inside the court.
At least 15 lawyers, including a pregnant woman and two
Senior Advocates of Nigeria, were in the court during the attack.
The governor walked out of the court premises at the peak
of the attack.
Most police officers seen within the court premises
during the attack either aided the attacker or looked on, idly.
Only one police officer was seen, in the video, after the
attack, trying to help the injured.
The thugs upturned chairs within the court room,
scattered files all over and shattered glass windows as lawyers ducked under
tables. A female lawyer covered herself with a chair.
Another could be heard saying her upper arm was hurting.
An elderly man, who was seemingly brought out of the
court room by police officers, gasping for breath, said he was badly beaten by
the thugs who came into the court room.
“The governor and his troops walked into the court room
and I was beated (sic),” the victim said.
Why Dickson stormed the court
According to Heineken Lokpobiri, a serving senator, the
court was in session to deliver a judgment on his case against the governor’s
preferred senatorial candidate, Foster Ogola, over the validity of the later’s
candidacy for Bayelsa West senatorial district.
Mr. Lopkobiri claimed his party; the Peoples Democratic
Party illegally substituted his name with Mr. Foster’s, and had filed a suit
accusing Mr. Foster of issuing false information to INEC.
Mr. Lokpobiri added that the attack on the court was the
second, claiming that earlier, thugs had come to seal the court and stopped the
Judge from entering the court, forcing an adjournment.
Mr. Lokpobiri
told Premium Times .
Times he was
shocked and irritated by the governor’s action at the court.
Mr. Lokpobiri said the governor has the right to support
his opponent, but has no right to bring thugs to attack the court.
“All these things happened in the presence of the
commissioner of police and am surprised. If the governor did not lead the
thugs, it would have been a different thing entirely,” he said.
The governor’s spokesman, Daneil Iworiso, told Premium
Times the incumbent governor did not lead any gang to the court.
But in the video, Governor Dickson was clearly seen
storming, and at the end of the attack, leaving the court accompanied by thugs
and police officers.
Mr. Iworiso however described the video as photoshopped.
“You know its election time and we need to ensure that no
violence occurs in our state, as soon as we heard of the clash we went there
with commissioner of police and armed men to try to cub the situation that was
when we found out it was a case between the incumbent governor and aspiring
governor,” he said.
He explained that the governor was not there when the
clash started, stating that it was all propaganda.
“When I saw the video I was just laughing because it was
all photo shoot, and I describe that as poor representation of what happened
there and I was also there,” he said.
Mr. Iworiso accused Mr. Lokpobiri of also bringing thugs
to the just-concluded PDP primaries, stating that he is known for carrying
thugs around Bayelsa state.
Mr. Lokpobiri admitted he has a loud crowd and
followership but that his followers and loyalists are peaceful.
“If he is accusing me of carrying thugs in the last
primaries, did they destroy anything or harm anyone during the election,” Mr.
Lokpobiri said.
Although several police officers were present when the
attack occurred, the Bayelsa Police Command said no arrest has been made in
relation to the incident.
Asinim Butswat, the state police spokesperson, said he
had no information that the governor led the thugs to the court premises.
“What we know is that the governor visited the court and
the thugs took advantage of his visit to force the gate open and invade the
court,” Mr. Butswat said.
“The police officers on the court premises did not know
the thugs came to cause havoc because they were not armed.
“After they attacked the court, they all fled before they
could be arrested.”
Mr. Buswat denied the state police commissioner was
present when the court was attacked, saying he only visited the court “shortly
after the incident”.
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