The Cross River State Police Command has announced the arrest of a suspect following an attack on the convoy of Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), in Calabar on Wednesday.
Obi had earlier disclosed that his convoy came under attack while he was in Calabar for a town hall meeting as part of his nationwide engagements ahead of the 2027 elections.
In a statement, the police spokesperson in Cross River, Eitokpah Akata, confirmed that one suspect had been arrested, while efforts were underway to track down other individuals involved in the incident.
The suspect was identified as 27-year-old Victor Edet Yellow Duke.
“The Cross River State Police Command has arrested a 27-year-old suspect, identified as Victor Edet Yellow Duke, in connection with the alleged attack on the convoy of the Presidential Candidate of the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC), His Excellency, Peter Obi, along the Watt Market Roundabout axis of Calabar, on Wednesday, 4th November 2026,” the statement reads.
“The attack reportedly resulted in damage to the windshields of some vehicles in the convoy.”
Akata explained that the incident took place at approximately 2:20pm as Obi’s convoy travelled from the palace of the Obong of Calabar to Metropolitan Hotel, where the party’s presidential town hall meeting was scheduled to hold.
He said that at the Watt Market Roundabout in the state capital, “a group of suspected hoodlums, reportedly armed with machetes and sticks, emerged from the Calabar Road and Clerks Alley axis and attacked vehicles within the convoy, smashing their windshields”.
According to the police spokesperson, the number of vehicles damaged during the attack had yet to be established.
“Police personnel deployed around the area responded swiftly to contain the situation,” he said.
“The arrested suspect was subsequently moved to the state police headquarters by operatives of the violent crime response unit (VCRU) for discreet investigation and to prevent any possible reprisal or further breakdown of law and order. Normalcy has since been restored in the area,” he said.
Akata added that Ajo Geoffrey Ordue, the state commissioner of police, had ordered a comprehensive investigation to identify and arrest other suspected participants and determine the full circumstances surrounding the attack.
He stressed that the arrest of the suspect did not establish his guilt, noting that he remained entitled to the presumption of innocence until investigations were concluded and any subsequent judicial proceedings were completed.
The police command also assured residents, political stakeholders and visitors that adequate security arrangements remained in place to safeguard lives and property and ensure that lawful political activities could take place peacefully across the state.
Akata reaffirmed the command’s commitment to providing equal security protection for all political parties, candidates and their supporters, regardless of their political affiliations.