There is rising tension in Bayelsa State following the forceful arrest of the Minority leader of the State House of Assembly and member representing Nembe Constituency 2, Chief Edward Irigha-Brigidi.
DAILY POST gathered that Chief Edward Irigha-Brigidi was arrested in Gestapo fashion in Azikoro town, a suburb of Yenagoa, the state capital, by some police officers identified as SWAT operatives from Abuja.
Irigha-Brigidi, a legislator elected on the platform of the All Progressive Congress (APC), was reported to have been arrested following a petition alleging complicity in the crisis rocking the Nembe-Bassambiri section of the Nembe Kingdom and is currently being detained at the State CID.
A reliable source told DAILY POST that the arrest of Irigha-Brigidi may have been orchestrated by some powerful chieftains of APC in the state following his alleged decision to stand with the aggrieved youths of Nembe-Bassambiri against some leaders of the Party.
DAILY POST, also gathered that the lingering crisis in Nembe-Bassambiri was responsible for the disappointing performance and heavy loss of the party at the last state and National Assembly elections in Bayelsa East district, where the former Minister of State for Petroleum, Chief Timipre Sylva, hails from.
Irigha-Brigidi, whose victory was aided by his stance against the alleged oppressive and violent tendencies of some Nembe-Bassambiri party leaders, was also reported to have skipped the party leader’s 59th birthday celebration in Yenagoa on Friday.
While the top echelon of the Bayelsa State Police Command keeps mum over the “forceful” arrest, sources claimed the quick intervention of Governor Douye Diri stopped the SWAT team from moving the embattled legislator to Abuja based on instructions.
