Suspected political thugs on Monday attacked and destroyed the secretariat of the Social Democratic Party in Nonwa, Tai Local Government Area of Rivers State.
Our correspondent gathered that the secretariat was scheduled for inauguration by the state SDP governorship candidate for the 2023 elections, Senator Magnus Abe, before the incident.
Abe, a former Senator representing Rivers South-East, had recently accused the ruling Peoples Democratic Party in the state of masterminding a series of attacks against his party.
A source in the community said at about 6.30am on Monday, a group of youths armed with axe and machetes stormed the facility and started attacking it.
The source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity for security reasons, said, “Early on Monday, some of our people were still sleeping when we started hearing people shouting.
“Reports came that they destroyed Senator Magnus Abe’s secretariat. We went there and saw that it was true. The whole building was destroyed.”
While confirming the incident, Abe, in a statement said the attack, like previous ones and threats to life and property, will not deter him from going ahead with his campaigns.
The statement by Abe’s spokesman, Parry Benson, read in part, “The SDP secretariat in Nonwa Tai, Tai LGA, due for inauguration today – Monday, December 26, 2022, was destroyed in the early hours of today by suspected political thugs.”
Abe, therefore, called on the state Commissioner of Police and other security agencies to investigate the incident, and bring an end to escalating violence in the state.
When contacted, the spokesperson of the state Police command, Grace Iringe-Koko, said it was a clash amongst SDP members following a disagreement.
“It was a clash amongst them. But normalcy has been restored after the Commissioner of Police drafted operatives to the area.
“I think they still went ahead with their campaigns there. No arrest yet, but investigation is ongoing concerning the attack on the secretariat,” she stated.
