Police Arrest Suspect Over Attack on Peter Obi’s Campaign Convoy in Calabar

The Cross River State Police Command has arrested a 27-year-old man following an alleged attack on the campaign convoy of the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, in Calabar, the state capital.

The incident occurred on Wednesday, November 4, 2026, around Watt Market Roundabout, along the Calabar Road axis, while Obi and members of his entourage were returning from the palace of the Obong of Calabar to Metropolitan Hotel, where the party was scheduled to hold its presidential town hall meeting.

The police identified the arrested suspect as Victor Edet Yellow Duke.

The attack was first brought to public attention by Ester Umoh, a media aide to Obi, who raised the alarm in a social media post, alleging that hoodlums were attempting to attack the campaign convoy.

“Thugs are trying to attack our convoy,” Umoh reportedly wrote, as concerns mounted over the safety of the presidential candidate and members of his entourage.

Obi had arrived in Calabar shortly before the incident alongside his wife, Margaret, and his running mate, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, for the party's political engagement in the state.

According to the police, the attack occurred at approximately 2:20 p.m. when suspected hoodlums, allegedly armed with machetes and sticks, emerged from the Calabar Road and Clerks Alley axis and descended on vehicles in the convoy.

The attackers reportedly smashed the windshields of some vehicles, although the police said the exact number of vehicles affected had yet to be established.

The police said the swift intervention of security operatives led to the arrest of one of the suspected attackers, while others escaped from the scene.

In a statement issued by the Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Eitokpah Sunday Akata, the command disclosed that the arrested suspect had been transferred to the State Police Headquarters by operatives of the Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU) for further investigation.

The transfer, according to the police, was also intended to prevent possible reprisals and any further breakdown of law and order.

The statement added that normalcy had returned to the affected area following the intervention of security personnel.

The Commissioner of Police, Cross River State Command, CP Ajo Geoffrey Ordue, has consequently ordered a comprehensive investigation into the incident.

Ordue directed investigators to establish the circumstances surrounding the attack, identify other individuals suspected to have participated in it and ensure that anyone found culpable is brought to justice.

The police commissioner also warned against actions capable of undermining public peace, particularly as political activities intensify ahead of the 2027 general elections.

However, the command cautioned members of the public against assuming that the arrest of the suspect amounted to proof of guilt.

It stressed that the suspect remained entitled to the constitutional presumption of innocence until investigations were concluded and a competent court determined the matter.

The police further reassured residents, political stakeholders and visitors that adequate security arrangements were in place across Cross River State.

It emphasised that all political parties, candidates and their supporters would enjoy equal protection, irrespective of their political affiliations.

The incident occurred against the backdrop of heightened political mobilisation in Calabar on Wednesday, as the NDC's town hall meeting coincided with political activities by supporters of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

Earlier, police operatives had intervened to prevent a possible confrontation between supporters of the two political camps after their activities converged around the Metropolitan Hotel area.

Reports indicated that security personnel engaged both groups and appealed to them to exercise restraint to prevent the situation from escalating into violence.

The developments have drawn attention to the security challenges that could accompany political campaigns and public engagements as parties intensify preparations for the 2027 presidential election.

Obi, a former governor of Anambra State, is seeking the presidency under the NDC platform, with Kwankwaso as his running mate.

The Calabar incident also recalls the September 2026 confrontation in Benue State, when Obi's convoy was blocked by youths during a visit to the state. The police subsequently arrested 46 suspects in connection with that incident.

The latest development underscores the responsibility of security agencies to guarantee the safety of political candidates and their supporters, while ensuring that political disagreements do not degenerate into physical attacks.

For now, investigations are expected to establish the identities of those behind the Calabar incident and determine whether anyone else was involved.