From Tony John, Port Harcourt
Suspected political thugs have destroyed the Social Democratic Party (SDP) Secretariat in Nonwa Tai, Tai Local Government Area in Rivers State, which was due for commissioning yesterday, by the governorship candidate, Senator Magnus Abe.
The thugs, who, at the time of filing the report, could not be identified, executed the operation in the early hours of the day.
Spokesperson to the party’s governorship candidate, Parry Benson, said, in a statement, that the several attacks would not deter Abe from campaigning in Rivers.
Benson said: “The several attacks and threats to life and property will not deter him from campaigning in Tai and other local government areas of the state.”
He called on the state Commissioner of Police and other security agencies to investigate the incident and bring an end to escalating political violence in the state.
Meanwhile, normalcy was later restored to the area, following the deployment of tactical teams by the Commissioner of Police, Effiong Okon.
The state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Grace Iringe-Koko, a Superintendent of Police (SP), described the incident as a clash between different protesters.
She said the SDP secretariat was later commissioned after police had taken control of the venue and restored normalcy.