Gunmen kill APC deputy ward chairman in Bayelsa

Tension heightened Thursday among among members of the All Progressive 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 council area of then state by unidentified gunmen.

The deceased, Diseye Dickson was reportedly shot dead at Odi community at about 11pm Wednesday by the gunmen allegedly clad in military uniform.

Though report claimed that the deceased was shot dead during a shoot out 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 the Federal House of Representatives and chieftain of the APC, Hon. 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 in the buttocks by a stray bullet.

A member of the Federal House of Representative representing Yenagoa-Kolokuma/Opokuma federal constituency, Hon. 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 All Progressive Congress (APC) in the state through the Sylva/Igiri campaign Organisation alleged that the killing was carried out by suspected thugs hired by the PDP.

The Director of Media and Publicity of the Sylva/Igiri campaign Organisation, Chief Nathan Egba, in a statement said, “As at this morning, 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 LGA was macheted to death.We condemned this act of desperation by the PDP to continually attack and intimidate our supporters.”

“This killing is wicked, unwarranted and provocative. The APC and the campaign organization has repeatedly called on the police and other security agencies to step up their patrol to forestall any further attack on the APC members. Killers of these people must not be allowed to go unpunished.”