From Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa

There was drama at the Bayelsa High Court as suspected political thugs invaded the courtroom and disrupted hearing in a suit over the controversial ward, local government and state congresses of the All Progressive Congress (APC).

Investigations revealed that after the initial arguments by counsels to both parties, the presiding Judge, Justice Nayai Aganaba, who is already due for retirement today, had fixed the ruling for 3pm before the incident occurred.

Findings indicated that the courtroom was usually filled with supporters of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and APC when suspected political hoodlums tried to force their way into the court.

In the ensuing melee at the door,  a policeman attached to the court allegedly hit one of the hoodlums in the stomach and bedlam ensued prompting lawyers, court officials and Justice Aganaba to scamper for safety.

Sources said Justice Aganaba was stoned with plastic bottles by the suspected hoodlums before he was taken into safety by his police orderly.

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The hoodlums were said to have inflicted injuries on lawyers, officials of the court, the claimant, Alex Blackson and his brother, Osom Blackson.

Counsel to Blackson, P.J. Fawei, who confirmed the incident, expressed sadness over the development, noting that it was pathetic that hoodlums would come and desecrate the sanity of the court.

The Chairman of APC in the state, Dr Dennis Otiotio- Odoni, himself a lawyer and a co-defendant in the suit, condemned the “brazen and crude invasion of High Court 3, Yenagoa”.

He distanced members of APC from the fracas and urged the security agencies to fish out the perpetrators.

“As the Chairman of the Bayelsa Chapter of the APC, I know that it is not the practice of our party to resort to disorderly and unlawful tactics, as we believe in the rule of law and the sanctity of our courts. I, therefore, condemn in the strongest terms, the events of 13th day of April, 2022, and call on the security agencies to delve into the matter and take appropriate actions that will punish the culprits.