‘I did not come to do anything. I only came to beg for money’ – Apprehended suspected thug at the disrupted NDC Town Hall meeting today
By Kehinde Jacobs
LAGOS — For the second time in a matter of days, supporters of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) have repelled an attack by suspected political thugs, this time at a Town Hall meeting in Lagos, apprehending one of the attackers in the process.
The planned Town Hall meeting for the NDC presidential candidate, Peter Obi, was disrupted on Thursday after suspected thugs stormed the venue at the Classic Event Place in Oregun with clubs, guns, cutlasses, cudgels, stones and other dangerous weapons.
The incident occurred at about 11 a.m., shortly before Obi and his running mate, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, were expected to address participants. Neither candidate had arrived when the violence broke out.
Before the attack, the atmosphere at the venue had been peaceful, with supporters singing, dancing and awaiting the commencement of the meeting. That calm was shattered when the hoodlums approached from Kudirat Abiola Way in Oregun and attempted to force their way into the main hall.
Witnesses said the attackers, who were heard speaking in Yoruba, believed the NDC supporters were few and could be overpowered. Some were even heard asking their superiors for permission to invade the venue with guns.
But unlike what the attackers expected, the NDC faithful refused to run. Party members quickly rallied, stood their ground, threw chairs at the attackers and chased them out of the hall.
“Several thugs armed with cutlasses, guns, and dangerous weapons stormed the venue and started dismantling vehicles and destroying our merchandise,” said Joseph Orukpe, NDC House of Assembly candidate for Ikeja Federal Constituency. “They also attacked our members, and we had to stand up to defend ourselves, and in the process, we apprehended one of them.”
In the ensuing confrontation, one suspect was caught at the car park after the attackers were pushed back. Videos from the scene showed smashed vehicle windscreens and bloodstains where the crowd detained the suspect.
The detained suspect, identified simply as Ibrahim, denied participating in the violence or carrying a machete. He insisted that nobody paid or sent him to disrupt the gathering.
“I did not come to do anything. I only came to beg for money,” Ibrahim said.
“Wherever I see high-profile people, I come to beg for money,” he added. “I was not sent.”
Party members say vehicles and other property were damaged during the attack, while there were also reports that a driver was stabbed, although the extent of injuries had yet to be established.
Police officers later fired shots into the air along Kudirat Abiola Way to disperse supporters who had moved onto the road following the incident.
Thursday’s incident comes after a similar attack on Obi’s convoy on November 4 near Watt Market in Calabar, Cross River State, while he was heading to the party’s presidential town hall meeting.
Despite the repeated attacks, NDC supporters at the Lagos venue vowed not to be intimidated, insisting that they will continue to defend their gatherings and their candidate ahead of the 2027 general elections.
As of the time of filing this report, security agencies had not issued an official statement on the Lagos incident.