From Maurice Okafor, Enugu
Fears of thuggery and political attacks in Enugu State ahead of the 2027 general elections have begun to emerge, as major opposition parties in the state and the APC-controlled state government trade accusations over alleged attacks on political gatherings.
The accusations followed a series of violent incidents on Saturday, October 10, as the governorship candidate of the NDC, Sir Chinyeaka Ohaa, arrived in Enugu to flag off his campaigns.
The Enugu State Commissioner of Police, CP Mamman Bitrus Giwa,, confirmed that he deployed his men to the NDC secretariat at about 2:30 p.m. after receiving a report of alleged shooting in the area.
A press statement made available to newsmen in Enugu and signed by the Command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Daniel Ndukwe, revealed that CP Mamman Bitrus Giwa had ordered an investigation into the incident.
Part of the statement reads:”Upon receiving a distress report, Police operatives promptly moved to the scene, restored normalcy and rushed the injured victim to a hospital, where he is receiving treatment and is reported to be in stable condition. The CP has directed the State CID to identify and apprehend the perpetrators.”
The police statement further confirmed that an earlier incident had occurred at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport.
It reads:”In a separate incident at about 11:30 a.m. on the same day, joint Police and military operatives dispersed suspected NDC members who gathered in a disorderly manner at the entrance to Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu. Preliminary findings indicate that airport authorities restricted the party members from entering the airport in large numbers to receive their governorship candidate. A misunderstanding reportedly arose among the party members and escalated into a fight, prompting the intervention of the joint security operatives”.
The governorship candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Uche Nnaji; the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Mr Ocho Obodoeze; and the NDC, Sir Chinyeaka Ohaa, at a joint press conference held in Enugu on Monday, October 12, accused the Enugu State Government of sponsoring the attacks as a strategy to undermine opposition parties in the state.
Addressing newsmen alongside National Assembly candidates, State Assembly members and coalition party officials, the opposition leaders declared that Enugu’s democracy was rapidly devolving into state-sanctioned anarchy.
‘They Blocked Me Face-to-Face’: Chinyeaka Ohaa Recounts Airport Ambushes
Detailing his ordeal, the NDC governorship candidate, Sir Chinyeaka Ohaa, revealed how his homecoming and scheduled campaign office flag-off were allegedly met with brute force by state security operatives and armed thugs.
“When I alighted from the airport, I was attacked. My members were humiliated by the Chief Security Officer of Enugu State… He was seen by everybody. Many people were wounded, a lot of cars were smashed, and most of the phones of event journalists were taken.” — Sir Chinyeaka Ohaa, NDC Governorship Candidate
Ohaa clarified that his party had strictly adhered to the required procedures by paying the necessary fees to receive supporters at the airport, adding that there was no plan to campaign on the tarmac.
Despite this compliance, he described how armed men allegedly blocked his convoy along multiple routes before confronting him directly.
“When I came there, they blocked me face to face. And I came out and said, ‘Okay, you want to shoot me? Shoot me.’ My car was able to rescue itself out of the blocking, and I entered my car and went to my office.
This is unbecoming of Enugu State democracy.” Sir Chinyeaka Ohaa stated.
The former Federal Permanent Secretary lamented that opposition parties were being prevented from erecting billboards, wearing party vests or holding peaceful gatherings.
Highlighting the human toll of the attack, Ohaa said:”In our own case, they attacked my people and wounded eight persons, including a woman that they shot on the breast. Another one’s stomach was ripped into pieces that they had to join his intestine… The young man that videoed everything live, they’ve taken him to prison as we talk now.” — Sir Chinyeaka Ohaa stated.
Also speaking, the Enugu PDP governorship candidate, Chief Uche Nnaji, said:
“We are assembled here to show solidarity to our brother in the NDC for what he went through… You don’t play politics with bitterness. The more you harass people, the more people troop out. Politics is not about do-or-die”.
In his speech, the ADC governorship candidate, Mr Ocho Obodoeze, alleged that the ADC was the first party to experience violence when its thanksgiving canopy and venue were destroyed during its campaign.
He said:”We are just here to commiserate with NDC on the unfortunate incident that happened to them. It could have been anybody. When you release projectiles, you don’t even know who it is going to hit”.
In a separate press statement, the NDC State Secretary, Mr Emmanuel Chukwujekwu Nebo, alleged that members of the party had also been attacked during a meeting at Obuofia community in Nkanu West Local Government Area of the state on September 12.
In a reaction, the Secretary to the Enugu State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, who briefed a select group of newsmen at the Government House, accused the opposition in the state of planning to import thugs and bandits into Enugu ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Part of the statement reads: “The Enugu State Government has uncovered alleged plans by some opposition elements to import armed thugs and bandits into the state to create panic and a false sense of insecurity ahead of the 2027 general elections.
He denied any involvement of the government or the governor’s Chief Security Officer, Ifeanyi Osondu, in either incident, describing the airport confrontation as a matter between the NDC and federal authorities. He also noted that the shooting incident at the party’s secretariat was under police investigation.
Prof. Onyia said the government’s preliminary findings indicated that the airport incident followed the NDC’s attempt to hold what it described as a “Grand Statewide Campaign Flag-off 2026” at the facility without securing the necessary approval from the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN).
He said the NDC had published notices inviting its members and supporters to the airport for the event, including on the Facebook page of its governorship candidate in the state.
Prof. Onyia stated:”Further findings, however, revealed that the NDC did not secure the approval of FAAN to host a grand statewide rally at its facility. Security agencies, therefore, advised the organisers of the rally to rethink it,”.
The SSG said the NDC proceeded to mobilise its members to the airport and attempted to gain entry into the facility, resulting in a confrontation with airport authorities.
He said security agencies intervened to disperse the “riotous” party members and restore order around the airport, which he described as a strategic national asset.
On the shooting incident at the NDC state secretariat in the Government Reserved Area (GRA) of Enugu, the SSG said security reports had established that a violent clash occurred at the party’s office and that the police were investigating the matter.
He disclosed that a 43-year-old man, identified as Ifeanyi Nworie, sustained a gunshot wound and was taken to the Enugu State University Teaching Hospital, Park Lane, where he was stabilised before being transferred to the National Orthopaedic Hospital, Enugu, for further examination.
“We can, therefore, authoritatively report that there were no deaths as falsely claimed by some reports and NDC leaders,” he said.
The SSG said Governor Mbah had sworn to protect the lives and property of all residents, irrespective of their religious beliefs or political affiliations.
He urged political parties and their candidates to exercise restraint and embrace issue-based campaigns ahead of the 2027 elections.
The SSG also said democratic rights should be exercised responsibly, arguing that political parties ought to serve as models of decorum and integrity.
As of the time of filing this report, some Enugu State Government officials and representatives of the three opposition political parties mentioned in the report were still trading accusations against one another.
