Normalcy returns to Bayelsa community after youth’s murder

Uneasy calm is slowly returning to the Bomuondignene community in the Yenagoa Local Government Area of Bayelsa State following the gruesome murder of a young man, Lightweight, on Monday.

PUNCH Metro gathered on Thursday that Lightweight, who recently returned to the community from Port Harcourt, was attacked by three men suspected to be migrant farmers on the suspicion of stealing their farm produce.

A source close to the Bomuondignene community told our correspondent that on the fateful day, the victim was served dinner, but he opted to go to the toilet before eating.

The source, who pleaded anonymity, said, “Lightweight left the food on the table and went to the waterside. Unfortunately, he climbed aboard a canoe loaded with yams belonging to some Anam farmers.

“The farmers had been complaining of theft of their farm produce. So, on that eventful evening, they laid ambush at the waterside after loading their canoes with yam.

“When Lightweight climbed into the boat, they suspected he was the thief, and they attacked him with machetes inflicting several cuts on him.”

PUNCH Metro further gathered that someone who came to the waterside and saw the attack ran back into the community to raise the alarm, but it was already too late.

By the time help came, the assailants had disappeared into the night, and all efforts to locate Lightweight failed only for his butchered body to be recovered on Tuesday.

Some enraged Bomuondignene youths were said to have visited mayhem on the crops and farm produce belonging to the Anam farmers in the community, destroying food crops and property worth millions of naira.

It was also gathered that other strangers living in neighbouring communities of Akaibiri and Tombia were not spared, as some were horsewhipped and beaten.

Many strangers were said to have fled the area that night to escape the targeted attacks by the youths.

However, another source at Akaibiri said the situation had calmed down as stakeholder groups were negotiating a peaceful resolution of the crisis.

When reached for confirmation, the Bayelsa State Police Public Relations Officer, Musa Mohammed, did not pick up his calls nor respond to an inquiry via text message.