Gunmen Abduct Council Chair In Jonathan’s Local Government In Bayelsa

The Chairman of Ogbia local government area, Enaye Abah in Bayelsa,was on Wednesday, kidnapped by unknown gunmen and taken away to an unknown destination.

President Goodluck Jonathan comes from Ogbia local government as well.

It is not clear as to why Mr. Abah was kidnapped. The kidnappers are yet to contact Mr. Abah’s family but there are fears that the abduction has political undertones.

The abducted ?c?ouncil ?b?oss played a key role in election logistics for the Peoples Democratic Party in the State Assembly election.

The result of the election for the State House of Assembly Constituency seat remain inconclusive following the violence in the area. The Independent National Electoral Commission is yet to fix a new date over insecurity in the area.

The Police Spokesperson for Bayelsa Command, Asinim Butswat, confirmed the incident and said the command had alerted Rivers and Delta Commands of the development.

The kidnappers allegedly trailed their victim, overtook his car and blocked him. They shot sporadically to scare away people around the area.

“They abducted him in his car and transferred him to a blue mazda car and when they got to Okaka waterside they burnt the mazda car and escaped with a waiting speedboat into the river,” Mr. Butswat said.

Residents who witnessed the abduction said the two gunmen had better ammunitions and overpowered the security escort attached to the chairman.

Mr. Butswat said the police got a distress call on Wednesday morning and dispatched men to rescue the council chairman.

“We were meant to believe that the council chairman was under threat along Otuasega-Okaka Expressway, so our first reaction was (to go) towards Otuasega. But we got there to find of that the gunmen had escaped through Okaka waterside,” said Mr. Butswat.

He said the police was on the trail of the kidnappers.