Police Launch Manhunt For Other Suspects After Attack On Peter Obi’s Convoy

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

The incident reportedly occurred at about 2:20 p.m. at the Watt Market Roundabout as Obi’s convoy was returning from the palace of the Obong of Calabar to the Metropolitan Hotel, where the party’s presidential town hall meeting was scheduled to take place.

According to Bush Radio Academy, suspected hoodlums armed with machetes and sticks emerged from the Calabar Road and Clerks Alley axis and attacked vehicles in the convoy, smashing the windshields of some of them.

The exact number of vehicles affected by the incident has not been established.

The police spokesperson, ASP Sunday Eitokpah, disclosed in a statement on Wednesday that security personnel deployed in the area swiftly intervened to contain the situation.

The intervention reportedly involved the use of tear gas, leading to the arrest of Duke, while other suspected attackers escaped from the scene.

The arrested suspect was subsequently transferred to the State Police Headquarters by operatives of the Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU) for further investigation.

The police explained that the investigation was being handled discreetly to prevent possible reprisals and avoid any further breakdown of law and order.

The command confirmed that normalcy had returned to the affected area following the intervention of security operatives.

Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police, Ajo Geoffrey Ordue, has ordered a comprehensive investigation to identify and apprehend other individuals allegedly involved in the attack and establish the full circumstances surrounding the incident.

The command also cautioned the public against assuming the arrested man was guilty, stressing that his arrest did not amount to a conviction.

It maintained that the suspect remained entitled to the presumption of innocence until investigations were concluded and any subsequent judicial proceedings determined his culpability.

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

The command reiterated its commitment to providing equal protection to all political parties, candidates and their supporters, regardless of their political affiliations.

It also appealed to members of the public to remain calm, avoid spreading unverified information and report suspicious activities through established police channels.