By Samuel Oyadongha

Yenagoa—The Bayelsa State Police Command, yesterday, confirmed the arrest of Tonye Okio, a loyalist of former governor of the state, Timipre Sylva,  over alleged seditious publication.

The state Police Command, in a statement by the acting Police Public Relations Officer, Mr Peter Ogboi, said that Tonye Okio’s arrest was part of an investigation into the alleged activities of a syndicate involved in the spread of seditious information in the state.

The Police added that “the suspect, whose other syndicate members are now at large, would be appropriately arraigned in court when investigation is completed.”

However, a group of civil rights activists, led by the former Chief Press Secretary to former Governor Sylva, Mr. Doifie Buokoribo, faulted the claims of alleged sedition against Tonye Okio and demanded his immediate release.

He said the offence of sedition does not exist under the Nigerian law.

“The courts expunged it in the Second Republic following the celebrated case of Arthur Nwankwo versus the State,” he said.

Buokoribo, in a statement in Yenagoa, described the abduction of Okio and his continued detention as illegal and unfair.

He accused the Bayelsa State governor, Mr Seriake Dickson, of being the mastermind of the action.

He said: “On October 26, about 15 men, including plain-clothes Special Investigation Bureau, SIB, officials and others attached to the Police Mobile Force, invaded the Abuja residence of Tonye Okio with three vehicles and forcefully seized him. Thereafter, they took his iPAD, mobile phones and those of his younger sister.

“After getting their target, Okio was taken to the headquarters of the Abuja Command of the Nigeria Police. He stayed with his abductors, who claimed they were trying to arrange a flight to take him to Yenagoa via Port Harcourt International Airport. When the flight arrangement failed, the police decided to take Tonye by road. They left Abuja about 4pm, Saturday, and arrived Yenagoa about 1pm on Sunday, October 27. He was taken straight to the State Criminal Investigation Department, SCID, of the Nigeria Police, where he is being detained illegally.

“The Police authorities claim that Tonye Okio will be charged for allegedly writing on his Facebook page recently that an unnamed South-South governor was recently caught in the United States with $5 million. Tonye denies the charge.”