Gunmen believed to be political thugs opened fire at a rally organized by NEW Associates, a group supporting the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State. The event, held at the Church of God Mission Camp in Igbogene, was thrown into chaos as gunshots rang out from nearby bushes, forcing the crowd to scatter in panic. While no deaths were recorded, several attendees suffered gunshot injuries.
The rally was meant to show appreciation to President Bola Tinubu for appointing sons and daughters of Bayelsa into government positions and to publicly declare support for Wike, who serves as the group’s grand patron. Originally scheduled for April 12, the rally was moved to April 26 after a scheduling clash with another political group supporting Governor Douye Diri.
Supporters had gathered early, filling the venue by 8 a.m., when the shooting began. Security forces, including the Nigeria Police Force, Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC), and the Department of State Services (DSS), responded swiftly. They pushed back the attackers and swept the surrounding area to prevent further violence.
After the incident, Comrade Ebilade Ekerefe, Secretary of NEW Associates and former spokesman for the Ijaw Youths Council, accused the state government of attempting to sabotage the rally. He stressed that the gathering was peaceful and aimed solely at expressing solidarity with the President, questioning why anyone would feel threatened by their assembly.
Dr. Pabara Igwele, the immediate past Commissioner for Health in Bayelsa State, also condemned the attack, labeling it a politically motivated attempt to create fear. He pledged that the rally would continue despite the disruption.
In a show of resilience, the supporters regrouped after the gunfire and went ahead with their rally, refusing to let the violence derail their event.
