The Cross River State Police Command says it has begun efforts to identify and apprehend other persons allegedly involved in the attack on the convoy of the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, in Calabar.
The development follows the arrest of a 27-year-old suspect, identified as Victor Edet Yellow Duke, in connection with the incident, which occurred on Wednesday, November 4, 2026, around the Watt Market Roundabout in the Cross River State capital.
According to the police, the attack happened at about 2:20 p.m. as Obi’s convoy was returning from the palace of the Obong of Calabar to the Metropolitan Hotel, where the party had scheduled a presidential town hall meeting.
The police spokesperson, ASP Eitokpah Akata, said a group of suspected hoodlums, reportedly armed with machetes and sticks, emerged from the Calabar Road and Clerks Alley axis and attacked vehicles in the convoy, smashing some of their windscreens.
The exact number of vehicles affected has not yet been established.
Police personnel deployed in the area intervened, using tear gas to disperse the suspected attackers. While one suspect was arrested, others reportedly fled the scene.
The arrested man was subsequently transferred to the State Police Headquarters by operatives of the Violent Crime Response Unit for further investigation.
The Commissioner of Police in Cross River State, Ajo Geoffrey Ordue, has directed a thorough investigation to identify and apprehend other persons who may have participated in the attack and establish the full circumstances surrounding the incident.
The police have also cautioned against treating the arrest as proof of guilt, stressing that the suspect remains entitled to the presumption of innocence pending the conclusion of investigations and any subsequent court proceedings.
Despite the disruption, Obi proceeded to the party’s town hall meeting in Calabar. The police have assured political stakeholders and residents that security measures remain in place to protect lives and property and ensure the peaceful conduct of lawful political activities across the state.
