Home / News / Local / Tension grips Bayelsa APC as kidnapped aged-mother of Sylva’s running mate dies in captivity; It’s not true – Police, family insist

Tension grips Bayelsa APC as kidnapped aged-mother of Sylva’s running mate dies in captivity; It’s not true – Police, family insist

Chief Timipre Sylva
Chief Timipre Sylva

NEDU MARK, YENAGOA

Tension and fear has engulfed the camp of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and family of its deputy governorship candidate in Bayelsa State, Wilberforce Igiri, following the sad news of the death of his kidnapped aged mother, Madam Ebifeghe Dikoro, in the kidnappers’ den.

Madam Dikoro, who is said to be over 100 years old, was kidnapped by gunmen on Thursday, October 29, 2015, at her home in Foropa community, Southern Ijaw Local Government Area.

Her abduction came barely one week after the governorship candidate of the APC, Timipre Sylva, formally presented Igiri to the party in Yenagoa as his running mate in the December 5 governorship election in the state.

Sylva’s choice of Igiri had deepened the internal crisis in the party as some chieftains of the party kicked against it, resulting in days of protests by some youths who went on rampage and destroyed Sylva’s election posters at the state’s party secretariat.

Dikoro’s kidnappers were said to have invaded her house at about 1am on the fateful day and whisked her away to an unknown place.

The bandits had stormed the community on the fringe of the Atlantic Ocean in two speed boats and shot sporadically into the air to ward off any challenge by the people before grabbing and taking her away.

It was gathered that news of her death broke early on Monday, five days after the abduction.

But a close family source, who did not want to be named, dismissed news of Dikoro’s death in the hands of the hoodlums.

“There is nothing like that. Nothing like (her death) that happened. It’s a rumour”, he said.

He, however, said the hoodlums had yet to contact the family, stressing that efforts were being intensified to ensure her rescue.

When contacted, the state Police Command Public Relations Officer, Asinim Butswat, said there was no iota of truth in the rumoured death of Dikoro in the custody of her abductors.

“We are on it. Investigation is going on. It’s not true that she has died in the hands of the kidnappers”, he said.

About Global Patriot Staff

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