LAGOS JUNE 30TH (URHOBOTODAY)-Gunmen in army uniform have kidnapped the former acting First Lady of Bayelsa State, Mrs. Martha Binabo.
Martha, the wife of a former acting Governor of the state, Chief Nestor Binabo, was whisked away at her warehouse located between Azikoro Village and Agbura on Monday.
Binabo, a former Speaker of the state House of Assembly was inaugurated the acting governor in 2011 following a court judgment that sacked Chief Timipre Sylva’s administration.
The bandits numbering about five reportedly stormed the warehouse of Mrs. Binabo at about 11:30am.
The victim, who is a major distributor of Guinness products, was reportedly seized by the gunmen and driven away to an unknown place in a Toyota vehicle.
A source said the hoodlums arrived the expansive warehouse when their target was plaiting her hair.
Two of the gunmen alighted from the vehicle and accosted the woman. They told her that they were sent by the Commander, Joint Task Force (JTF), Operation Pulo Shield to bring her to JTF headquarters.
The workers of the woman did not raise any alarm as the bandits forced the woman into their vehicle and zoomed off. They fired no bullet before whisking her away,” the source who pleaded anonymity told our correspondent.
There were insinuations within Binabo’s camp that the abduction was politically motivated.
The ex-Speaker is among powerful Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftains pushing to deny the state Governor, Mr. Seriake Dickson, a second term in 2016.
His camp believes that the kidnapping was carried out to intimidate Binabo who is seen as a major obstacle to Dickson’s second term aspiration, particularly in Bayelsa West Senatorial District.