APC Thugs Shot Me, My Brother At NDC Meeting, Police Arrested Member Who Filmed Attack’ –Enugu Politician

A Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) chieftain in Enugu State has accused suspected thugs loyal to the All Progressives Congress (APC) of attacking a party ward meeting, shooting him, his elder brother and several other members, while alleging that the police have failed to arrest the attackers and instead detained a party member who filmed the incident.

Hon. Donald Onovo, who said he narrowly escaped death during the September 12 attack in Nkanu West Local Government Area, spoke exclusively to Sahara Reporters on Tuesday, detailing how what should have been a routine political meeting descended into violence and how the Nigeria Police Force subsequently arrested one of the victims who recorded the attack rather than the alleged perpetrators.

According to Onovo, the NDC had announced its ward meeting for September 12 through community platforms in Obuoffia, only for the APC to announce a meeting on the same date and at the same venue, Obuoffia Central School.

"We had prior announcement which was published in Obuoffia general platforms that the meeting will be held on September 12. After one week, the APC members in Obuoffia announced that they will have their own meeting on same date, being September 12, Saturday. The APC members also announced the same venue," Onovo told SaharaReporters.

Onovo said he and the NDC ward chairman agreed to relocate the meeting to Isi-Ani Awkunanaw, the ancestral home of Awkunanaw, to avoid a confrontation.

"I disagree with him since we fixed our own meeting by 3pm while they fixed theirs by 10am. I told my chairman that if anything happened it would be that we came to meet them, that in order to avoid trouble we should move ours out of the location," he explained.

The NDC meeting was subsequently moved to 4pm at the new venue, but, according to Onovo, the attackers followed them there.

He recalled that party members remained fearful despite the relocation because APC thugs had allegedly attacked a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ward meeting in nearby Akpugo days earlier.

"Immediately we finished opening prayers, the chairman of the party in the ward had finished addressing members. So I was the one holding microphone speaking when the APC members drove in," Onovo said.

The attackers arrived in a convoy comprising a white Mercedes-Benz, an ash-coloured Lexus, a Toyota Corolla, two tricycles and three motorcycles.

Onovo said they initially drove past the meeting venue, where no security personnel were present, before returning and attacking the gathering.

"One of our stakeholders, Hon. USA Igwesi, was inside the ash Lexus with his brother the traditional ruler, Igwe Obiora Igwesi. So when they packed their vehicles and were coming towards us, for the fact that I saw the traditional ruler with his brother, while other people following them were carrying guns, I told people that they should not run," Onovo narrated.