By Igoniko Oduma /Yenagoa
Bayelsa State Police Command confirmed on Monday that it arrested Tonye Okio, one of former Governor Timipre Sylva's aides, "for the offence of seditious publications".
But, Sylva's associates claimed that Okio, who comes from Otiokpoti in President Goodluck Jonathan's Local Government Area, Ogbia, was abducted in Abuja last weekend.
The state police command, in a statement signed by Acting Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Peter Ogboi, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), said Okio and other members of his syndicate would be arraigned in court after investigation is concluded.
Daily Independent investigation showed that the arrest of the Sylva's loyalist may not be unconnected with the alleged writing on a social media website page recently that an unnamed South South governor was recently caught in the U.S. with $5 million.
The publication was said to have been published at a time Governor Seriake Dickson was in the U.S. for induction as a member of the board of Lincoln University.
It was gathered that Dickson may have petitioned the police to effect the arrest of the suspect.
"This is to inform the general public and good people of Bayelsa State in particular that Bayelsa Police Command has succeeded in apprehending one Tonye Okio, 'm' of Otiokpoti, Ogbia local government area, Bayelsa State for the offence of seditious publications.
"The suspect, whose other syndicate members are now at large would be appropriately arraigned in court when investigation is completed", the police said.
An activist and media adviser to Sylva, Doifie Buokoribo, has demanded the immediate release of Okio, describing "his continued detention as illegal, unfair and unsympathetic."
He pointedly accused Dickson of being the mastermind of what he described as grand impunity.
Buokoribo said: "If Dickson believes he is the said governor alleged to have issues of money laundering in the U.S., he should know what to do as a lawyer.
"Using the police to harass, intimidate and blackmail a political opponent is indecent. Besides, this action amounts to a privatisation of the Nigeria Police."
He also argued that the offence of sedition with which the police had charged Okio does not exist in the laws of Nigeria.
"The courts expunged it in the second republic following the celebrated case of Arthur Nwankwo versus the state", he added.
