Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The unit-to-unit mobilisation meeting of the African Democratic Congress in Ejule, Ofu Local Government Area of Kogi State, was proceeding peacefully when the armed men struck. According to eyewitnesses, the heavily armed gang stormed the venue, shooting sporadically into the crowd and sending party faithful scrambling for safety. When the chaos subsided, several members lay injured, some critically, and the meeting ground was littered with overturned plastic chairs and the debris of a gathering that had been violently broken up.
The attack occurred on Monday, September 14, 2026, according to SaharaReporters, whose correspondents spoke with eyewitnesses on Tuesday evening. The eyewitnesses said the assault was led by a notorious political enforcer identified as Besiru Mudi, popularly known as "Para," who is allegedly affiliated with Kogi State Deputy Governor Joel Oyibo and party chieftain Alfa Agbodu. Visuals from the scene showed the aftermath of the attack: blue plastic chairs smashed, overturned, and scattered across the red dirt ground under an open-air canopy where party members had gathered. Graphic photos and video clips obtained from an undisclosed health facility showed one male party member battling for his life while receiving emergency medical care. The victim, wearing a white polo shirt soaked in fresh blood stains across his chest and collar, lay supine on a clinic bed connected to an intravenous drip line, with thick medical bandages covering severe injuries to his forehead and head. Another victim appeared completely incapacitated with extensive facial and head bandaging.
The attack on the ADC meeting is not an isolated incident. It is the latest eruption in a pattern of political violence that has become distressingly routine in Kogi State, particularly in Ejule, the hometown of Deputy Governor Joel Oyibo. The same Besiru Mudi, alias "Para," has been repeatedly named in connection with political violence in the area. In October 2023, he was identified by the Social Democratic Party as one of the thugs who attacked its rally in Ejule, destroying property worth millions of naira. In May 2025, the Deputy Governor was again accused of sponsoring thugs to attack SDP members in Ejule, inflicting severe injuries. Now, the same enforcer has allegedly turned his attention to the ADC.
The political context makes the attack even more troubling. Barely a week before the Ejule assault, on September 8, 2026, nineteen political parties in Kogi State, including the APC and the ADC, signed a peace accord ahead of the 2027 general elections. They pledged to conduct their campaigns and political activities strictly in accordance with the law and to reject violence, hate speech, intimidation, and other acts capable of undermining the credibility of the electoral process. They specifically agreed not to sponsor or mobilise individuals and groups for electoral violence, intimidation, threats, or disruption of political activities. The ink was barely dry on that accord when armed thugs allegedly linked to the ruling party opened fire on an opposition meeting. The peace accord, it appears, was not worth the paper it was written on.
The attack has sparked outrage across civil society groups and ethnic organisations, including the Ukomu Igala Association and the Association of Igala Uniformed Personnel. Human rights advocates and opposition leaders have petitioned Amnesty International Nigeria, the Department of State Services, the Nigeria Police Force, and the Nigerian Army, demanding the immediate arrest and prosecution of Besiru Mudi and his sponsors before the political climate in the state deteriorates further. The petitioners argue that the attack is not just a crime against the ADC but an assault on democracy itself, and that those who sponsored it must be held accountable regardless of their political affiliations or positions in government.
Hon. David Idris Zacharias, the member representing Idah Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, condemned the attack in strong terms. In a statement issued on Monday, he described the assault as "criminality" and not politics. "Several of them are injured and hospitalized," he said. "This is not politics. This is criminality. It is cowardly, barbaric, and a direct assault on our democracy. Political intolerance has no place in Kogi State, and we will not be silenced by violence." He called on security agencies to act swiftly and bring the perpetrators to book. "To the security agencies, I urge you to act swiftly. Arrest and prosecute all those responsible for this senseless attack, no matter who is behind them," he demanded. He also sympathised with the victims and urged calm across Kogi East. "To the injured, I wish you a speedy recovery. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your families," he stated. "To my people of Idah Federal Constituency and Kogi East, remain calm and law-abiding. We will continue to resist every attempt to intimidate us. Our voices cannot be silenced. Our resolve remains unshakable."
The response from the Kogi State Police Command has been conspicuously silent. Efforts by SaharaReporters to speak with the Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Saliu Oyiza Afusat, were unsuccessful as she did not answer her calls or respond to a text message seeking official confirmation of the attack. The silence of the police in the face of such a brazen assault on a peaceful political gathering raises troubling questions about the willingness or ability of the state's security apparatus to protect opposition members and uphold the rule of law. If armed thugs can storm a meeting in broad daylight, open fire on party members, and escape without immediate arrest, the message to other would-be attackers is clear: political violence carries no consequences.
The attack on the ADC meeting in Ejule is not just a Kogi problem. It is part of a broader pattern of violence against opposition parties across Nigeria ahead of the 2027 general elections. In recent weeks, opposition gatherings have been attacked in Kaduna, Edo, Lagos, and Rivers states. The ADC has repeatedly warned that those introducing thuggery into the 2027 political process are playing a dangerous game, and that no one has a monopoly on violence. That warning now rings with even greater urgency. For the people of Kogi State, and for Nigerians who believe in free and fair elections, the assault on the ADC meeting is a stark reminder that the road to 2027 will be paved with blood if the authorities do not act decisively to protect political actors and hold sponsors of violence accountable. The injured members of the ADC are recovering in hospitals. Their attacker is still at large. And the peace accord signed just a week ago has already been violated.
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