Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa

The Nigerian Navy has broken its silence on the death of naval rating at the weekend in Brass.

The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in a statement by the Secretary of the party, Godspower Keku, had fingered the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the killing of the naval rating during the House of Assembly elections in the area.

The Bayelsa State government had in a statement condemned the killing of the naval rating and called for the arrest and prosecution of the perpetrators.

However, the Central Naval Command (CNC) in a statement by Commodore Joseph Akpan on behalf of the Flag Officer Commanding (FOC) CNC, Rear Admiral Saidu Garba, declared that while it was true that the command lost a rating officer, his death had ”nothing to do with election-related violence or politics.”

Related News

According to him, the naval rating was on escort duty on board a ship at sea which unfortunately came under attack offshore of Brass and suffered a fatal gunshot and was being treated in a hospital in Brass before he died.

“The command wishes to state unequivocally that the personnel of the Nigerian Navy remains apolitical, resolutely neutral and will continue to adhere strictly to its professional code of conduct.”

Meanwhile, the APC has said the statement from the Nigerian Navy had vindicated its stand that the party had nothing to do with the killing of a naval rating officer in Brass.

The Publicity Secretary of the party, Mr Doifie Buokoribo, in a statement regretted that the Bayelsa State government and the PDP lied to Bayelsans to indict the APC and called on them to apologise for their action.

“We have had cause to caution the unsuspecting public to take whatever comes from the mouth of the dying PDP in the state and Governor Dickson with a grain of salt. Governor Dickson and his party have lied before. They are lying. They will continue to lie to cover their desperation, fear, and ineptitude. No government can survive on the basis of lies, fake news, and agitprop. Now that their latest lie has proven to be a cruel hoax, we expect the PDP and Governor Dickson to have the courage to apologise for shamefully misleading the public, raising a false alarm, and spreading rumour. But we know they will not. Of course, the people now know better.”