Bayelsa LG Boss: How I Escaped Assassination Attempt by Thugs

Emmanuel Addeh in Yenagoa

The caretaker Chairman of Brass Local Government Area, Bayelsa State, Mr. Victor Isaiah, thursday narrated how he narrowly escaped assassination by suspected thugs loyal to an opposition politician in the state.

At least two persons died during the gunfight which took place on the island last Sunday when supporters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) clashed, leading to the imposition of a dusk to dawn curfew in the area.

But Isaiah alleged thursday that his assailants were sponsored by an APC chieftain in the community.

Speaking with journalists after inspecting some of the properties destroyed during the bloody clash, the chairman absolved his party, the PDP, from inducing the violence.

He said the youths who made an attempt on his life by attacking his personal lodge with guns and other dangerous weapons were known political thugs loyal to the only APC lawmaker in the state, Mr. Israel Sunny-Goli.

Isaiah added that the attempt by the alleged APC thugs to gain entrance into his official lodge was met with resistance from the local government security volunteer group.

According to him, “A few days ago, some suspected armed APC youths attacked the local government council’s aide and PDP youths. Now, they attempted to assassinate me but were resisted by our security volunteers.

“One of the dead thugs, Kelvin Ikurusi, the mastermind and leader of the August 20, 2018, failed assassination attempt on my life is a member of the APC in Brass and a known hardened criminal and cultist who escaped from police (SARS) custody in Yenagoa last year.

“Before his death, he was on police wanted list for breaking out of police (SARS) custody. After the successful cell break, he ran to Brass and was provided refuge by the APC chieftain.”

He added: “The reports of his misdemeanors are notoriously known in Brass as he is daily fingered for armed robbery, snatching of phones, harassment of indigenes among other crimes.

“He was empowered and given a matching order by the leaders of the APC in Brass to harass and intimate members of the PDP.”

The council boss called on the federal government, the Inspector General of Police (IG) and other relevant security agencies to investigate without bias, the alleged activities of the APC chieftain and ensure security in the community especially as elections get closer.
In the meantime, the APC in Bayelsa has sent a protest letter to the Police IG, Ibrahim Idris, over the violence.

The party accused the PDP of desperation to take over the area in 2019 by working closely with some individuals, hired mercenaries and security agencies to kill and unleash mayhem across the state.