Police operatives in Calabar have arrested a suspect after a Peter Obi convoy was attacked by armed youths near a bustling downtown commercial district on Wednesday afternoon.
The incident occurred as the Nigeria Democratic Congress presidential candidate travelled from the palace of the Obong of Calabar toward the Metropolitan Hotel for a scheduled town hall meeting. Suspected hoodlums emerged from adjoining streets, hurling stones, bottles, and heavy projectiles at vehicles carrying party officials and supporters.
Police units assigned to the area intervened promptly, dispersing the crowd and taking one suspect into custody.
Ambush at the Commercial Roundabout
The confrontation began shortly after two in the afternoon around the busy Watt Market intersection along Calabar Road.
Eyewitnesses reported that dozens of armed youths carrying clubs and machetes suddenly surfaced from nearby alleys as the political motorcade slowed through traffic. Attackers targeted several vehicles in the convoy, damaging side panels and smashing windshields.
The sudden violence caused shoppers, traders, and pedestrians in the commercial center to run for safety as vehicles reversed to escape the barrage.
Uniformed police teams stationed along the procession route deployed canisters of tear gas to push back the mob, restoring vehicular movement within minutes.
Police Command Confirms Custody and Inquiry
Security authorities confirmed that a 27-year-old man, Victor Edet Yellow-Duke, was apprehended at the scene while other members of the group fled into surrounding neighborhoods.
State police command leadership stated that the suspect was immediately transferred to the Violent Crime Response Unit at the State Police Headquarters for detailed interrogation. Investigators have launched a wider manhunt to identify other participants and uncover who organized and financed the disruption.
Police officials cautioned against preemptive judgments regarding the incident, emphasizing that the detained individual retains the legal presumption of innocence pending the conclusion of formal investigations.
Command leadership also directed patrol units to increase surveillance around public gathering spots and political campaign venues across the state capital.
Presidential Candidate Addresses Supporters
Despite the mid-route attack, the political delegation proceeded to the hotel venue to host the scheduled civic town hall.
Addressing hundreds of enthusiastic supporters who packed the convention hall, the candidate confirmed that security details had advised rerouting the convoy when the stone-throwing began. He explained that his team chose to stand firm rather than retreat, urging citizens not to succumb to intimidation ahead of the 2027 general elections.
He told attendees that recurring acts of political aggression continue only when communities tolerate unlawful conduct from partisan operatives.
Party leaders called on law enforcement authorities to guarantee impartial protection for all registered candidates as political campaign activities accelerate nationwide.
