By Dipo Awojobi – The Rivers State Police Command has said it is yet to be informed about the kidnap of the Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State, Prince Ibiba Walter.
Walter, who is also the state Commissioner for Water Resources, was kidnap in the early hours of today, Saturday, by unknown gunmen at his hometown, Okrika.
The kidnap of the PDP scribe came barely four hours after a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Andoni local government area of the state, Elyon Ntiro Elijah, was kidnapped in his community.
Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in the state, Ahmad Muhammad, who disclosed this to newsmen in Port Harcourt, said even the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in charge of Okrika Police Division, is yet to be briefed.
Muhammad said, “I heard about the kidnap of the commissioner on radio; I have called the DPO of Okrika but he said he has not gotten any report like that.”
Meanwhile, members of National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) who were to conduct the election in Eleme local government area of the state, were ambushed by hoodlums, who hijacked the electoral materials from them at gun point.
One of the victims, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the materials were meant for Alode-Eleme Ward 1 and 2.
Meanwhile, accreditation of voters and voting started simultaneously in several polling units in parts of the state as early as 8:17am while in several others, especially in Port Harcourt City local government area, materials for accreditation and voting started arriving polling units from 10:30am.
In Ogu, headquarters of Ogu/Bolo local government area of the state, the PDP senatorial candidate for Rivers East senatorial district, Senator George Thompson Sekibo, voted at about 10:04am as accreditation and voting started very early enough.
Also, in Abam-Ama community in Okrika, the acting Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Mrs. Ibim Semenitari, voted in her Unit 008, Ward 5, Abam-Ama at exactly 10:29am.
Meanwhile, there is relative calm in Port Harcourt, the state capital, following the presence of security operatives , including the Army, Navy, Air force and the Police.
