Traditional Prime Minister, 25 others kidnapped in Ijaw Community

Traditional Prime Minister, Chief Mike Loyibo

the Traditional Prime Minister of Tuomo community in Burutu Local Government Area, Delta State, Chief Mike Loyibo and  25 others has been reported Kidnapped by suspected gunmen.

Advocate reported that trouble was said to have started after a Magistrate Court sacked the community Chairman, Mr. Binebai Tomke from office.

The sources said several other persons were injured in the fracas which broke out around 1pm yesterday, lamenting that the whereabouts of the Traditional Prime Minister and the 25 others were still unknown as of press time.

According to the sources, police officers attached to the Traditional Prime Minister, Chief Mike Loyibo, took cover, following heavy fireworks from the suspected gunmen.

One of the sources said: “the Magistrate Court at Okpokunou Community passed a judgment on the 19th of last month that disqualified Mr. Binebai Tomke from office because he’s not lettered.

“The Judge went ahead to say that the community leadership should conduct another election for the two candidates who earlier contested with him.

“At the election ground, yesterday, the former chairman came with thugs brandishing matchets and other dangerous weapons to disrupt the process, who also attacked officers, including Chief Mike Loyibo.

“The former chairman even went to the community radio house and announced that nobody can remove him from office”.

A source, however, said security operatives were dispatched to comb the area have rescued Chief Mike Loyibo and two others, adding that the whereabouts of the remaining 23 other persons were still unknown.

Meanwhile, as at the time of filing this report, efforts were being made to reach the former chairman for comments on the matter.

Contacted few minutes after he was rescued by security operatives, Chief Mike Loyibo said; “as a leader of the community and the Tuomo Kingdom, I went to witness and ensure peaceful electoral process when these thugs came to disrupt it and also attacked me and others with me.

“The security men on sighting the thugs with dangerous weapons fled and I was kidnapped by some of the assailants, who demanded that I should pay N1 billion to be freed.

“In the process, an argument ensued among them and I managed to escape from the scene and took a cover. It was in that place that soldiers came to rescue me”.

However, in his reaction, the secretary of the Tuomo community, Mr. Hebrew Coastman, said: “the truth of the matter is that the whole of the Tuomo community went to disrupt the process because of foul play.

“First, we don’t believe the purported court judgment emanated from the court because nobody from our party was present at the court.

“Again, there were two more candidates brought in to contest and the whole community saw that there was a foul play and trooped out to disrupt the process”.