5 policemen, 3 suspected thugs, LP candidate arrested in Bayelsa

By Samuel Oyadongha
The police authorities in Bayelsa State, yesterday, confirmed the arrest of Mr. Barnabas Edure, a Labour Party candidate in  Tuesday’s state House of Assembly poll.

The embattled Edure, a former chairman of Sagbama Local Government Area of the state was reportedly arrested alongside five policemen, supposedly from neighbouring Delta State and three suspected thugs.

The Labour Party candidate was earlier rumoured to have been abducted by suspected political opponents.

Though the identity of the policemen and suspected thugs could not be ascertained, as they were reportedly arrested at the Amassoma waterfront, where they were allegedly making plans to hire a speedboat to convey them to the former chairman’s constituency in Sagbama for the Tuesday’s poll.

The arrested policemen and suspected thugs were said to have confessed to have been hired by the former chairman to escort him to his constituency.

The embattled former chairman was reportedly arrested by men of the state police and taken into custody alongside his co-travellers at the command headquarters.

Contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer Mr. Emokpae Eguavoen, confirmed the arrest of the former chairman, five policemen and three other youths,  adding that the matter was under investigation.

Meanwhile, the rescheduled Sagbama-Ekeremor Federal constituency poll was, yesterday, characterized by poor turn out of voters.

Though the situation was calm at the Sagbama town headquarters of the Sagbama council, the turn out of voters was low compared to the large turn out recorded in the two polls earlier held in the state.