By Samuel Oyadongha
After a relative lull in violent crime in the creeks of Bayelsa State, the peace of the coastal town of Okpoama, Governor Timipre Sylva hometown was Friday violated by unknown gunmen allegedly dressed in military fatigue who kidnapped the engineer at a building site allegedly owned by the governor.

Vanguard learnt that the attack, the first after the recent operation by the Joint Task Force to rid the creek of militant camps occurred between 12.30am and 1 am Friday when most of the natives had retired to bed.

The invaders were said to have stormed the coastal settlement in two speedboats.

The kidnapped engineer at the governor’s building site was identified as one Jude Abaokporo.

Though the motive of the gunmen could not be immediately ascertained but a source from the creek who spoke to Vanguard said they (gunmen) might have kidnapped the site engineer with the aim of demanding for ransom.

The embattled site engineer, according to the source from the coastal settlement, was staying in a building at the waterfront near the St Paul’s Anglican Church in the community.

It was further learnt that part of the building where the engineer was abducted is also used as a private clinic and that some patients were on admission when they (gunmen) forced their way in and snatched their target and took him away in their waiting speedboats to unknown destination.

The dawn attack on Okpoama is the second in the series of attacks in the last four months on the serene coastal settlement known for its alluring beach.

The first was an attack on Governor Timipre Sylva’s uncle who was manhandled by some unknown gunmen before the latest raid on his building site.

No contact it was learnt had been established with the gunmen as at the time of filing the report but the state Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Eguavoen Emokpae, an Assistant Superintendent of Police confirmed the incident saying efforts were in top gear to apprehend the perpetrators.

Meanwhile, the state government has condemned the invasion of Okpoama and the abduction of a worker at a construction site with an appeal to the kidnappers to release their captive.