Just as the news of the explosion hit Port Harcourt, another round of violence was recorded in Rumueme, Obio/Akpor LGA where four APC members were machetted by persons believed to be political thugs.
Persons believed to be political thugs threw dynamite into the three-storey APC secretariat at about 3.14am which caused extensive damage to the ground floor.
APC Chairman in the LGA, Christian Asifamak, who narrated the incident, said that his office was the worst hit as the entire wall was pulled down by the impact of the explosion. His words:
“In the early hours of Sunday, some unknown group of persons threw dynamite into our party secretariat, he explained, lamenting that the attack was “a deliberate provocation by our opponents, the Peoples Democratic Party, to draw the APC into a battle that could destabilise our LGA.”
He warned that “the APC in Okrika would not allow Okrika to become a hotbed of crises as the PDP would wish.”
Asifamak claimed that the PDP had resorted to violence because of its rejection by the Okrika for failing to bring development to their LGA.
He added, “Till now the East-West Road through which we access our community has been left abandoned by a PDP-led Federal Government while Governor Chibuike Amaechi who is not an Okrika man built a ring road in Okrika and also rebuilt the portion of the federal road that links the LGA to the Port Harcourt refinery.
“We however wish to warn our brothers in the PDP to remember that the land of Okrika has been known to defend itself and its people against aggression and that any Okrika person who brings crisis to the land answers for it.”
Also, the governorship candidate of the APC in the state, Dr. Dakuku Peterside, who was in the community to assess the extent of the damage, expressed worry that the PDP and its supporters had initiated a pattern of attacks on the people of the state.
“The Police and other security agencies should tackle the excesses of the opposition party. This development is very sad and it is unfortunate that some persons in the society have decided to choose this path.
“If you have noticed, there has been a pattern of violence lately. On January 6, when we had our presidential rally at the Stadium, you would have noted that some of our people who were coming from Abonnema, Degema and Asari-Toru axis were attacked around Sa-Ama junction.
“The persons who were coming from Kaani and Gokana were attacked around Saakpenwa junction. Some other groups who were coming for the same rally were attacked around Elele. All fingers point to the other political party, the PDP.
“We have raised these issues with the Commissioner of Police; we have raised it with the security agencies. Not much has been done after then. Aside from that, you must also have observed a trend. A few days ago, they were in Abonnema to campaign; a faction of PDP fought with another faction of the PDP and two persons were confirmed dead.”
When contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Ahmad Mohammad, said the police were already investigating the explosion.
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