Bayelsa Gov’t Denies Aide Arrested by DSS Over Inciting Comments

Bodmas didn’t speak for us, Bayelsa state Government

The Government of Bayelsa State has denied being in the know of alleged ‘inciting’ statements by one of it’s aides, Bodmas Kemepadei.

Bodmas, a Special Assistant to Governor Douye Diri on New Media, was arrested by the Department of State Services following his viral video hovering on insecurity in the country

Bodmas was arrested in Yenagoa on Wednesday, for taunting President Buhari in the 28-second video, and asking Nigerians to fend for themselves as Buhari has gone missing in action allowing insecurity to overwhelm the country.

Kemepadei said in the video: “Nigerians are no longer safe; the only person who is safe in this country is President Muhammadu Buhari. And the only reason why Buhari is safe is that he understands that Nigeria is not safe and he has therefore isolated himself.

“My people, my Nigerians, all of you should wake up, all of you should wake up because nothing is working again in this country. The security architecture of this country has fallen. We don’t know our left, we don’t know our right. We don’t know where we are going as a people,” Kemepadei, identified as Senior Special Assistant to Bayelsa Governor on New Media, said in the video.

The state government, however in statement the Director, New Media Bayelsa State Government, Kola Oredipe, said the National Coordinator of Egbesu Brotherhood did not speak as a government official,but as an individual.

He said; “Our attention has been drawn to the arrest of Mr. Bodmas Kemepadei by the Department of State Services (DSS) over alleged inciting posts on the social media against President Muhammadu Buhari.

“Let it be clear that Kemepadei lacks the authority to speak directly for His Excellency, Senator Douye Diri, Governor of Bayelsa State.

“Kemepadei, a known blogger, film editor and online reporter, was appointed into the Bayelsa State Government New Media Team as a Special Assistant on New Media and works under the direct supervision of the Director, New Media, who coordinates all government new media activities.

“Kemepadei, in the said video and other posts, must have obviously spoken as a private citizen and not as a government official because the Governor could never have authorised such comments against Mr. President.”