The report of the Panel of Inquiry on the pre-election violence in Nembe Local Government Area of Bayelsa State has been submitted to Governor Seriake Dickson.
The governor described as barbaric the incident that led to the gruesome murder of 21 persons in political violence during the botched PDP campaign in Nembe local government area three days to the November 16, 2019, gubernatorial election in the state.
Dickson in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Fidelis Soriwei described the level of violence perpetrated in Nembe as tragic and sacrilegious.
He said: “what took place in Nembe, should be referred to as, ‘Nembe massacre.’ It’s unfortunate that in this day and age this continues to happen from time to time in our country and in this state particularly.”
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The governor expressed dismay that the perpetrators of the heinous acts were yet to be apprehended and brought to justice over two months after the election.
He stressed the need for his administration to properly document the incident for posterity.
However, he contended that, while the wheel of justice may be slow, he was optimistic that justice would prevail in the issue of the slaughter of innocent people just before the Bayelsa gubernatorial election.
“The Federal Government appeared not to be bothered about people who were killed in the name of politics and election. They wanted to take this state by force, and we thought, we should document it.
“You never can tell, sometimes the hands of justice move very slowly but they sure will move and I can tell, it will happen,” he added.
Presenting the report, Chairman of the Panel of Inquiry, Commissioner of Police, Akpoebi Agberebi (rtd), explained that a total number of 195 persons sustained various degrees of injuries.
Mr. Agberebi said that at the end of the public sittings, 379 victims appeared before the panel. He noted that the panel recorded 19 missing persons and 350 complainants whose properties were vandalised.
“A total of 195 persons sustained various injuries, either by gunshot or some persons who were running and fell down.
“The number of persons that reported that their properties were vandalized was 350,” he said.
