Bayelsa state Governor Seriake Dickson has disclosed his photograher and a ward Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) were shot by the military.
Dickson said that the military colluded with some politicians to perpetrate the violence which characterized the polls.
The duo were reportedly shot by unidentified gunmen during Saturday’s Presidential and National Assembly elections in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa.
Blueprint gathered that the Photographer Reginald Dei survived the incident but is in critical condition at Diete Koki Memorial Hospital Opolo, Yenagoa while PDP ward Chairman Seidougha Taribi died on the spot.
In a press conference on Sunday, Governor Dickson commiserated with the families of all those that lost their lives to electoral violence on Saturday.
“The two were killed by soldiers and my condolences goes to their families and it is regrettable that people have to die because of elections and we have been advocating against electoral violence in the past eight years.
“I commend the people of Ekeremor and Brass including INEC by resisting the pressure to sabotage the voting process and people actually voted there for the first time, prior to this time, they have been used to hijack of the process.
“It shows that our advocacy for peaceful elections is paying off but unfortunately in places like Nembe-Basambri, it was still the same old story of hijacking the electoral process and I encourage them to resist it,” Dickson said.
Reacting to the allegations by Bayelsa Governor, Major Jonah Danjuma, Spokesman of 16 Brigade, and Nigerian Army Yenagoa said the Army was not responsible for the incident.
He explained that troops of the Brigade had conducted an operation in Ikebiri community, in Southern Ijaw, different from where the journalist and party chieftain were reportedly shot.
Checks revealed that the reported shooting incident took place at Oweikorogha, Southern Ijaw Local Government Area (LGA) of Bayelsa State.
Danjuma said: “We had no such incident. Troops of 5 Battalion, 16 Brigade Nigerian Army on Saturday arrested 15 armed men suspected to be political thugs at Ikebiri 1 in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa.
“It was a successful operation that led to the recovery of large cache of arms, ammunition and other items.
“This feat was achieved as a direct response by vigilant troops in Operation SAFE CONDUCT 2019 in 16 Brigade Area of Responsibility.” Danjuma said.
Also, Spokesman of the Joint Military Force deployed to the Niger Delta, Major Abdullahi Ibrahim, said that the Command neither deployed men to the community nor had operation atbOweikorogha, Southern Ijaw.
