Suspected political thugs reportedly engaged officials of the Nigeria Police Force in an all-out battle in the streets of Yenagoa, the Bayelsa state capital on Saturday.

The incident occurred at the state secretariat of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) during an attempt to hijack election materials for the House of Representatives primaries.

It was gathered that the state commissioner of police, Ntomchukwu, the state chairman of the PDP, Col. Sam Inokoba, his state secretary, Mathew Keku and some journalists were all trapped inside the secretariat building as the battle lasted for almost two hours.
Residents were said to have scampered for safety during the battle, especially as the suspected thugs reportedly held hostage the members of the Electoral Committee of the party deployed to the state for the conduct of the primaries.


Other people held hostage during the exercise include the PDP Election Committee members led by Gen. Idi Adamu as Chairman, Yeye Bola Dare, Zanna Mustapha, Alaye Don Pedro and John Idoko as Secretary.
The incident reportedly caused tension as politicians who gathered at the secretariat to witness the distribution of materials had to scamper for safety.
One of the trapped journalists, Mrs Joy Bello, disclosed that the thugs stormed the PDP Secretariat in a white Siena space wagon armed with guns and other dangerous weapons.
It would be recalled that gunmen suspected to be cultists attacked and killed a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Godspower Ayodu and six more people in Omoku, headquarters of Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers State.