Gunmen attacks Pro-Wike Mega Rally In Bayelsa
By Tom Okpe
Gunmen, in large number has been reported,to have launched a violent attack on a pro-Wike mega rally on Saturday, in Bayelsa State.
According to a report on Saturday, the gunmen emerged from the forest behind the event’s main stage and opened fire on the crowd, causing widespread panic as attendees scrambled for safety.
The NEW Associates, a grassroots political group made up of close allies of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, convened the rally in support of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election bid.
The swift response of security forces, including officers of the Nigeria Police and the Department of State Services, DSS, prevented a greater tragedy.
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Eyewitnesses confirm to journalists that security operatives engaged the attackers in a gun battle that lasted about 10 minutes, eventually forcing the assailants to retreat.
Despite the disruption and several people, reportedly sustaining injuries in the chaos, the organisers have vowed that the rally will continue as planned.
Speaking after the attack, Secretary of the NEW Associates, Ebilade Ekerefe, condemned the incident and reiterated the group’s unwavering commitment to President Tinubu’s second-term ambition.
He said: “We will not be intimidated. Our support for President Tinubu remains unshaken, and we will not back down.”
