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The Bayelsa State
governor, Timipre Sylva, nearly assaulted a journalist yesterday for
asking him a question he considered embarrassing.

Mr Sylva, who was
at the Peoples Democratic Party national secretariat, Abuja, to submit
his nominations form, was asked by Nigerian Observer reporter, Mike
Odiakose, why he was accompanied by praise-singers from the northern
part of the country rather than supporters from his state, suggesting
that he is not accepted by his people.

“Your Excellency,
we are noticing something unusual here today,” Mr Odiakose said. “When
governors come to submit their forms, their indigenes in Abuja come to
welcome them. But the people we are seeing here are Hausa boys. Does
this not raise questions about your acceptability by the people of
Bayelsa State?”

The governor pointed his finger at the reporter. “How did you know that these boys are Hausa boys?” Mr Sylva asked.

“We have already
interacted with them when we saw them before you drove in,” the
reporter replied. “That is mischievous, that is mischievous, that is
mischievous,” the governor said. “Who are you? Who sent you?”

Suddenly, the
governor’s security aides descended on the reporter, dragged him while
another one snatched the reporter’s mobile phone with which he was
recording.

Defending their aide

Other reporters
that went to their colleague’s aid were also attacked, before one of
them successfully retrieved the phone from the security aide.

Last year, another
member of the Abuja Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Akin
Orimolade of National Life, was allegedly abducted by Mr Sylva’s aides
and taken to Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital.

It took the intervention of the NUJ before Mr Orimolade could regain his freedom