I have no hand in soldiers’ deaths — Ex-Bayelsa governor, Sylva

A former Governor of Bayelsa State, Timipreye
Sylva, has refuted claims he masterminded the
killing of four soldiers and a policeman on the
Nembe waterways by suspected pirates on Friday.
Military and police authorities had confirmed
Saturday in Yenagoa, that the Joint Task Force
(JTF) base at Nembe came under attack on Friday
night.
A group, Ijaw Young Professionals in Bayelsa State,
through its leader, Seighfa Tonye-Brown, alleged
that Mr. Sylva as well as his party, All
Progressives Congress, were behind the attack.
Mr. Brown alleged that the attack “was among the
plans being hatched by the opposition party to
unleash, between now and the (December 5
governorship) election, tension and insecurity in
the state in order to force the hand of President
Muhammadu Buhari to declare a state of
emergency and possibly take over the state”.
“To former governor, Timipre Sylva, violence is a
normal way of life,” he said. “The resort to violence
as the only means of winning elections in this
state is no longer fashionable.”
But Mr. Sylva, in a statement through his media
adviser, Doifie Buokoribo, said the accusations by
the “the non-existent Tonye-Brown and his
faceless group” was “wild, unsubstantiated and
irresponsible”.
“Sylva wishes to state categorically that he knows
nothing whatsoever about the Nembe killings,”
read the statement. “Similarly, neither Sylva nor
the APC that he leads in the state is privy to any
plan to employ violence as a strategy to win the
forthcoming gubernatorial election in the state.”
Mr. Sylva accused the Bayelsa State Government
led by Seriake Dickson of failing to ensure security
in the state.
“Sylva notes further that the escalation of violence
in the state should be put squarely at the doorstep
of the incumbent government of Mr. Henry Seriake
Dickson.”
The statement continued, noting “That government
has failed woefully in securing lives and property,
but instead has overtly and covertly procured and
traded in violence to intimidate political opponents
and any voice of reason.”
“That same government has embarked on all
manners of subterfuge including, facilitating of
arms to non-state actors essentially to prevent the
change that is imminent in Bayelsa State.
“It is no doubt that Sylva as the symbol of that
change is the target of this schizoid propaganda
by faceless groups, paid and unpaid writers, and
political jobbers.
“Sylva is unperturbed. Sylva abhors violence. He
has never promoted violence under any guise. He
only represents the voice of millions of Bayelsa
people seeking change in the affairs of the state, a
change to the gross ineptitude, pathetic profligacy
and grand larceny of Mr. Henry Seriake Dickson.”
He called on the Inspector General of Police to
order an immediate investigation of the Nembe
killings, and most particularly those behind the
“Ijaw Young Professionals in Bayelsa State.”