Three Injured As Score Of Hoodlums Invade Bayelsa High Court

Hoodlums, numbering over 30, on Thursday disrupted court proceedings on the hearing of the disputed ward, local government and State Congresses of the All Progressives Congress (APC) at the Bayelsa High Court.

An official of the court, the claimant, Alex Blackson and his brother, Osom Blackson were injured in the course of the stampede inside the court.

The presiding Judge, Justice Nayai Aganaba, was reported stoned with plastic bottles by the hoodlums however taken to protection by way of his police orderly.

It was added that most of the lawyers in courtroom were also chased out whilst those that came with the claimant were brutalised.

It was additionally gathered that the hoodlums would possibly have been provoked by the act of the alleged insistence of the Presiding Judge, Justice Aganaba to hear the suit filed by Alex Blackson.

The lawsuit sought the order of the court docket to set apart the disputed congresses of the APC held last year.

It additionally gathered that there was police at the Secretariat of the APC following the disruption to arrest some chieftains of the celebration over their alleged involvement in the courtroom invasion.

Meanwhile, Two person were reportedly arrested.

But Bayelsa APC Chairman, Dr Dennis Otiotio- Odoni, distanced contributors of the APC from the fracas in the court

He alleged that those concerned were suspected supporters of the opposition hanging round the premises.

He expressed self belief in the capacity of the Judiciary to adjudicate in things concerning the party.

He entreated the police to fish out these at the back of the invasion of the court.

Otiotio said: “APC has nothing to do with the invasion of the court. We are a law abiding party and we have faith in the Judiciary over cases before it.

“We condemned the act in its entirety and called on the Police to fish those behind it out.”

Counsel for the claimant, P.J. Fawei, who confirmed the incident, described the invasion as pathetic and show of disrespect to the sanctity of the court.

He said : “It was shocking to me. I had noticed that on resumption of court proceedings at about 3pm, there were unusual large numbers of people around the court premises.

“When they attacked, they stabbed a court worker in the hand and beat up the claimant and his brother.”

A chieftain of the party and brother to the claimant, Osom Blackson, told newsmen that those that tore his shirt and dealt him several blows were APC members and known to him.

“When I saw the boys, I never knew the plan was to disrupt the court and attack us.”

Another chieftain of the party, Hon. Sunday Frank Oputu, condemned the attack, describing it as barbaric and an open show of disrespect to the symbol of the law.

Frank-Oputu argued that the APC national leadership should impose sanctions against the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva, over alleged complicity in the attack.

“The party should sanction Sylva for encouraging the hoodlums to attack the court and defile the temple of justice,” he said