Angry farmers under the aegis of Bayelsa Farmers Multi-purpose Cooperative Union, on Thursday in Yenagoa, held Fraizer Okuoro, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources, hostage.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) revealed that the farmers, armed with placards and chanting solidarity songs, stormed the Old Secretariat Complex, housing the ministry. They demanded the payment of the state’s share of the ₦200 billion agriculture loan provided by the Federal Government for disbursement to farmers.
However ,as at the time of the protest, the Commissioner for Agriculture, Dikivie Ikiogha, was not in the office, this made the farmers to take as hostage the permanent secretary as he made attempt to escape. Mr Okuoro was held hostage for almost 30 minutes before he was released .Some of the placards read, ‘No loan, no vote for Sylva, “Commissioner Ikiogha Must go”, ‘No farming no food” and “Our survival depends on farming.”