Gunmen invade APC rally venue in Patience Jonathan’s town

Political thugs, suspected to be working for the Peoples Democratic Party in Rivers State, invaded the venue of the All Progressives Congress governorship rally in Okrika Local Government Area in early hours of Saturday, destroying equipment being st up for the exercise.

The armed youths, according to the APC Chairman in Okrika, Mr. Christian Asifamaka, shot sporadically at about 3.45am at the venue of the party’s governorship campaign.

Asifamaka said in a statement that the hoodlums threw dynamites into the National School Field venue of the rally in Okrika, destroyed the podium already set up for the programme and other facilities in the arena.

Wife of President Goodluck Jonathan, Dame Patience, hails from Okrika.

A statement by Asifamaka on Saturday, read, “In the wee hours of the morning of Saturday 24, 2015 at about 3.45am, some armed youths started shooting at the venue of the APC governorship rally National School Field Okrika.

“Those setting up the sound system and the podium were forced to flee for their lives.

“At about 4am, they started shooting explosives into the arena and destroyed the podium, sound equipment and some canopies. The boys came in a white Hiace bus and allegedly came in from Igbiri, a community that shares borders with Mrs. Jonathan’s Oba Ama community.”

The governorship rally of the Peoples Democratic Party at the same venue on Thursday.

Rivers State Commissioner for Information and Communication, Mrs. Ibim Semenitari, said more youths had invaded the venue of the APC governorship rally for the second time and continued with the destruction of equipment mounted at the place for the exercise, unchallenged.

Semenitari explained that policemen, who were with Armoured Personnel Carrier drove off, adding that APC supporters were currently under siege in Okrika.

“Some more boys came and started destroying things at the venue in Okrika again. The police, who were coming with APC (Armoured Personnel Carrier), drove off. We are without any security and are under siege in Okrika. This is our situation as of now,” she added.