Governor of Bayelsa State, Seriake Dickson has told Channels Television how security operatives paid to protect the people of the state have looked away while electoral violence persisted during the Presidential and National Assembly elections in the state.
Channels Television station reported from the south south state that a photographer attached to the state house was gunned down.
According to the state Governor Dickson who spoke to the television station, former governor Timipre Sylva and some people were responsible for the electoral violence in the state which climaxed when soldiers began shooting on Saturday.
“People were running for their lives even as we speak, there are several reports of violence and the soldiers were participating in it. Those who were paid to protect our people are participants and the very best they were lukewarm and decided to look aside while terrible things happen, very sad.
“I believe the military authority would know what to do. We will like to investigate this and to know who has given the order under which they claim to be acting,” Dickson said.
Meanwhile the television house promised to reach out to those the governor mentioned in his allegations.
Similarly, residents of Agbere community of Bayelsa State have complained the violence nature of the presidential and the national assembly elections in the area.
According to an eye witness, who called the newsroom of National Wire Saturday evening, election has never been rough and violent in the community since democracy returned to Nigeria.
“This is the first time there will be violence in the area during election. Today’s election was smeared with violence so much that Tanbiri, Kakarabiri and Tuburukunu did not vote. Ayama started but it was disrupted,” the eye witness reported.
Stating further, the angry witness added that, “Four vans loaded with armed military men came to the town and started shooting; we have never seen such a thing before so everybody ran away.
“We don’t know if any result can be produced from these four polling units, any result coming out is fake because there was no election and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) should take note of this.
“A lot of people came from Lagos to vote, some came from Warri, Port Harcourt, Yenagoa and other places just because this place has never had any record of electoral violence like this.
“Now everybody is returning to their various stations without accomplishing the purpose for which we came. Remember the election was postponed for a week and some of us had to stay back to vote,” the eye witness lamented.