Gunmen kidnap House of Assembly candidate in Bayelsa

   Gunmen have kidnapped the House of Assembly candidate for the National Conscience Party (NCP) in Sagbama Constituency 1, Bayelsa State, Mr. Michael Agbalaze.Sagbama Constituency 1 is the constituency of the Bayelsa State Governor, Henry Seriake Dickson.

   The kidnap incident had already provoked tension in the area as most of the youths who were rooting for his candidature believed it was politically motivated.Checks indicated that the gunmen, who wore police uniform abducted Agbalaze from his residence at Azikoro, a suburb of Yenagoa on Monday night. Agbalaze, a former chairman of Tarakiri Rural Development Area, is a front line candidate for the Assembly seat currently being occupied by the Bayelsa State House of Assembly Majority Leader, Peter Akpe.

   A former Niger Delta militant leader, Mr. Oyakemeagbeagha Kpoku, who is Agbalaze‘s friend disclosed on 13th Jan that the victim was forcibly taken away by people in police camouflage.According to him, the armed men came in three vehicles and bundled their victim into one of the vehicles before speeding off.He advised his abductors to release him unhurt, warning of dire consequences if he was not released before the election.Kpoku stated that if the kidnappers do not release him before the election, no election would be held in the constituency.

Via.The Sun