Bayelsa poll: Deputy Governor’s brother escapes assassination

With less than 48 hours to the supplementary election in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area, Beinmopre Jonah, the brother of the Bayelsa State Deputy Governor, John Jonah, on Thursday escaped assassination by the whiskers.
Thugs, suspected to be working for the All Progressives Congress, invaded his residence in Ekeki, Yenagoa Local Government Area, leaving him unconscious.
The suspected APC thugs, it was gathered, stormed the area brandishing dangerous weapons, including machetes and cudgels.
They headed straight for the residence of the deputy governor’s brother.
The entire area was thrown into panic as the suspected thugs threatened to shoot, maim and kill anybody that may put up resistance or call security operatives.
An inside source revealed that the invaders overpowered his guard, broke the security lock of the gate and headed straight to the living room, where he was with members of his family and attacked him.
The victim, according to sources, overpowered the defenceless Jonah and inflicted machete cuts all over his body before they finally left.
The operation, which lasted for close to two hours, left the entire neighbourhood in a state of pandemonium, as they were made to stay indoors.
As at the time of filing this report, the victim, whose head was heavily bandaged with machete cuts all over his body, is receiving treatment at the Government House Clinic, Yenagoa.
Also, efforts to get his comment on the incident proved abortive as he was in a state of unconsciousness, with serious injuries on his head, neck and chest.
The attack is coming on the heels of Saturday’s supplementary polls in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area and 101 units across six local governments in the state, which is expected to be the deciding factor.
Reacting to the incident, the Director of Publicity of the Restoration Campaign Organisation, Hon. Jonathan Obuebite, condemned the attack, describing it as a confirmation of the Peoples Democratic Party’s earlier position that the APC is not ready for election in the state, but war.
The attack on the immediate younger brother of the Deputy Governor is a pointer to the terror that the APC is planning to unleash on the people of the state during Saturday’s re-run, the spokesman said.
Obuebite, therefore, called for thorough investigation into the matter, adding that this is the only way the people in the state will have confidence in the security personnel.
He said it was sad to note that some top politicians and ex-militants alleged to be responsible for the botched December 2015 governorship election in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area are still working freely without being arrested by security agents.