Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Akwa Ibom State Police Command has arrested the state coordinator of the Obidient Movement, Dr. Ben Smith, after he went alongside other supporters to facilitate the release of members detained during an Independence Day march in Uyo. Smith, a key figure in the movement supporting the presidential ambition of Nigeria Democratic Congress candidate Peter Obi and his running mate Rabiu Kwankwaso, was arrested at Ikot Akpan Abia after he visited the police command to secure the release of Elijah Noah, the Akwa Ibom coordinator of the Obi-Kwankwaso Movement, and other detained supporters. The arrest was disclosed by Esther Umoh, a media aide to Peter Obi, who described the development as an act of intimidation in a post on her X handle on Thursday, October 1, 2026.
The chain of events began earlier on Independence Day, when armed police operatives moved to stop a planned "Two Million-Man March" organised by the OK Movement in Uyo. According to Premium Times, a video of the incident showed several armed police officers surrounding Noah, dragging him towards a police vehicle and forcing him inside. Witnesses said tear gas was fired as police moved to disperse the supporters at Edet Akpan Avenue, where the march was taking place. The police, however, denied that tear gas was used and said no firearm was discharged during the operation. In a statement issued after the incident, the command said it arrested eight people for allegedly engaging in acts capable of causing a breach of public peace and disregarding lawful security directives. "No shooting incident was recorded in connection with the incident," the police spokesperson, Timfon John, an assistant superintendent of police, said. "Police officers discharged no firearm during the operation". The command said the suspects were assisting with investigations and would be prosecuted if found culpable.
The police's justification for stopping the march, according to Commissioner of Police Baba Azare, was based on security concerns and the potential for a clash between political groups. Azare told Premium Times that the command had received a request from the Peoples Democratic Party on September 9 to hold political activities from October 1 to 3 and had approved it. The OK Movement subsequently submitted a request on September 28 for a two-million-man march on October 1, covering some of the same locations listed in the PDP's earlier request. The commissioner said the command invited the organisers to a meeting and advised them to choose another date to prevent a clash. He said the police later decided, following a security meeting, that even the PDP should reschedule its approved activities because of the potential security implications. The OK Movement, including Noah, attended the meeting at the police headquarters where the organisers were asked to reschedule, according to Azare.
Smith had earlier said the organisers spent more than N20 million on mobilisation, branding and logistics across the 31 local government areas of Akwa Ibom State. He also said the organisers had met with the Commissioner of Police before the march and had obtained approval before the command later directed them to reschedule the event. Smith had questioned the decision to stop the march at the last minute, recalling that a similar solidarity march was held peacefully in the state in 2022. His decision to go to the police station to secure the release of Noah and other detained members was, in the eyes of the authorities, apparently not a mitigating factor. Instead, he was detained.
The Forum of State Coordinators of the Obidient Movement has demanded the release of Smith and other members it says were detained after the Independence Day march. In a statement dated October 1, the forum condemned what it described as the use of force and tear gas against participants and called for an investigation into allegations of mistreatment. The coordinators called on the Akwa Ibom Government, the Inspector-General of Police and other authorities to explain the arrests, disclose where detainees are being held and ensure their rights and due process are respected. They said members should be released where there is no lawful basis for continued detention, and urged the National Human Rights Commission and other oversight bodies to examine the reported incidents. The statement was signed by coordinators representing all six geopolitical zones.
The People's Organic Movement has also condemned the arrests. In a protest letter addressed to the Inspector General of Police, the group alleged that the arrests were carried out on the orders of the Akwa Ibom State Governor and executed by the State Commissioner of Police, describing the action as "a brazen display of political intolerance and abuse of power". The group revealed that Smith was detained after visiting the Police Command to secure bail for the arrested supporters and described his detention as "illegal and tyrannical". Convener of the movement, Rev. Eliashib Ime-James, warned that the clampdown was a direct assault on the 1999 Constitution, which guarantees freedom of assembly and association under Section 40. "Peaceful gathering and expression of political choice is not a crime. This unconstitutional clampdown on opposition voices is a dangerous provocation capable of igniting a national revolt," the statement read. The group demanded the release of Smith and all detained supporters within hours, warning that failure to comply would force them to mobilise nationwide protests and pursue legal remedies.
The incident has raised fresh questions about police powers, citizens' right to peaceful assembly, and political freedom ahead of the 2027 general elections. The OK Movement is a political group working to actualise the presidential aspiration of Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso. INEC's timetable lists the 2027 presidential and National Assembly election for January 16, with governorship and state assembly elections scheduled for February 6. The National Peace Accord, signed by political parties and candidates, reinforces the importance of peaceful political participation and respect for democratic processes. The forum said the movement was committed to lawful participation and urged political actors and security agencies to exercise restraint. But the arrest of Smith, a man who walked into a police station to ask about his detained colleagues and was himself detained, has raised questions that the police have yet to answer. For now, Smith remains in custody, Noah remains in custody, and the Obidient Movement remains defiant. As one of the coordinators put it, "This kind of intimidation must not be tolerated". The coming days will reveal whether the police will release the detainees or whether the standoff will escalate into a broader confrontation over the right to peaceful protest in Nigeria.
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