Police arrest suspect behind attack on Peter Obi convoy

The Cross River State Police Command has arrested a 27-year-old man, identified as Victor Edet Yellow Duke, over the alleged attack on the convoy of Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, presidential candidate, Peter Obi, in Calabar.

The incident occurred on Wednesday, November 4, 2026, around Watt Market Roundabout, along the Calabar Road axis of the state capital, while Obi’s convoy was returning from the palace of the Obong of Calabar to Metropolitan Hotel, venue of the party’s presidential town hall meeting.

According to a statement issued by the Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Eitokpah Sunday Akata, the attack occurred at about 2:20 p.m. when suspected hoodlums, reportedly armed with machetes and sticks, emerged from the Calabar Road and Clerks Alley axis and attacked vehicles in the convoy.

The statement disclosed that the attackers smashed the windshields of some vehicles, adding that the exact number of vehicles affected was yet to be established.

Following the intervention of security operatives, one of the suspected attackers, Victor Edet Yellow Duke, was arrested, while others reportedly fled the scene.

According to the police, “the suspect has subsequently been transferred to the State Police Headquarters by operatives of the Violent Crime Response Unit, VCRU, for discreet investigation and to prevent possible reprisals or further breakdown of law and order.”

The Command confirmed that “normalcy has since returned to the affected area.”

Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police, Cross River State Command, CP Ajo Geoffrey Ordue, has ordered a thorough investigation into the incident, directing officers to identify and apprehend other individuals allegedly involved in the attack.

The police, however, cautioned against drawing conclusions from the arrest, emphasising that “the arrest does not establish the suspect’s guilt.”

It added that the suspect remains entitled to the presumption of innocence pending the conclusion of investigations and any subsequent judicial proceedings.

The Command also reassured residents, political stakeholders and visitors of adequate security across the state, stressing that “all political parties, candidates and their supporters would receive equal protection irrespective of their political affiliations.”