Gunmen Friday stormed the Opume Community in Ogbia local government area of Bayelsa State, abducting the wife and son of the state treasurer of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Gbalipre Turner.

Gbalipre Turner, is the younger brother of  a close associate of President Goodluck Jonathan and paramount ruler of Opume Kingdom, HRH King Amalate Turner.

Command spokesman, Mr Alex Akhigbe (DSP) told LEADERSHIP that  the gunmen invaded the community and shot into the air sporadically to scare away any resistance and abducted the wife and son from their family  house in Opume.

“I received the information that the wife and son of the younger brother to King Turner was on Thursday evening kidnapped by yet-to-be identified kidnappers.

“Right now, our men have been deployed to the creeks to hunt down the kidnappers.

“Although the kidnappers have not made any contact with the family, we are waiting to establish contact so that we can follow up,” Akhigbe said

Meanwhile, at least three persons were killed with machete cuts on Friday in an inter communal land dispute between Akenfa and Agudama-Epie communities in Yenagoa , Bayelsa State.

The three persons killed were said to be on the disputed land when they were attacked.

Already, one of the corpses has been recovered, while search was on for the other two as at press time.

All the victims were said to be indigenes of Agudama-Epie, depicting fear of reprisals as residents are apprehensive.

The situation triggered an open fight between youths of both communities as schools and businesses in the area were abruptly shut down.

Security has also been beefed up at the Yenagoa Campus of the Nigerian Law School and the Headquarters of the Central Naval Command, all located at Agudama-Epie.

LEADERSHIP confirms that the intervention of the State Security outfit, “Operation Doo Akpor,” quelled the tensed situation.

It was gathered that the lingering land dispute has generated frosty relations between Akenfa and Agudama-Epie communities.

It was also learnt that no fewer than five youths who sustained machete injuries are currently receiving medical treatment in an undisclosed hospital in the state capital.

A top security source in the state alleged that government had been complacent on the dispute between both communities ,as he appealed to the state government to take over the disputed land for peace reign in the area.

When contacted, Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Alex Akhigbe confirmed that there were casualties, but could not give the exact figure.

Akhigbe said a team of policemen had been deployed to the scene of the fight and had been put under control.

Read more: Leadership Newspaper