Kaduna Police Detain 12 ADC, PDP Leaders, Release APC Chieftain Accused Of Inciting Kafanchan Attack

The Kaduna State Police Command has arrested and detained 12 opposition party leaders in connection with Monday’s political violence in Kafanchan, Jema’a Local Government Area, while an All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain accused of inciting the attack was allegedly released without charge, Sahara Reporters has learned.

Eight of those detained are members of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), while four are members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

According to Aliyu Haruna, a Kafanchan resident and ADC supporter who spoke to Sahara Reporters, the opposition leaders were taken to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) in Kaduna, where they remained in detention.

“So today, the police Area Command in Kafanchan arrested about 12 opposition leaders both APC, ADC and PDP. They took them to SCID and now they are being detained in SCID Kaduna,” Haruna said.

“I don’t know why they arrested them. They said that they caused violence in the local government area, which not true.”

Those arrested from the ADC include Anas Usman Amfani, Abubakar Sadiq, Abdulmalik Muhammad, Ibrahim Tanimu Amfani, Hamza Kure, Bala Nuhu, Sauban Jibril, and Ya’u Zakariya, the party’s chairman in Jema’a.

The PDP members detained are the party’s Jema’a chairman, Hassan Yaro, as well as Babangida Talle, Aliyu Saeed and Dini Muhammad.

The APC chieftain, Isyaka Abdullahi Ladan, was reportedly released.

The arrests followed a day of heightened political tension in Kafanchan that began on Sunday, when Ladan allegedly directed APC youths to prevent opposition parties from campaigning in the area.

On Monday, the ADC campaign team held its rally in the morning, followed by the PDP campaign team in the evening.

SaharaReporters had previously reported that the PDP campaign had barely begun when suspected APC thugs descended on the team. Police and soldiers arrived shortly afterwards and began firing teargas canisters, sending supporters and other residents scrambling for safety.

“On Sunday, the APC candidate campaigned and even turned the Emir’s palace into campaign headquarters. It was at their campaign yesterday that one Isyaka Abdullahi Ladan directed APC youths to attack any other party that comes to campaign in their area,” Haruna recounted.

Ladan was arrested by the Area Command in Kafanchan but was subsequently released at the Kaduna State Police Command, despite allegations that he had incited APC youths against opposition campaign teams.

“They all went together to the SCID but he was released and opposition leaders detained. He was released because he is an APC member,” Haruna said. “All other oppositions are being detained now in Kaduna.”

Haruna expressed concern that the arrests could hinder opposition political activities ahead of the 2027 general elections.

“That means we cannot come out and campaign if we are in other parties unless if we are in APC,” he said. “It must be under duress for us to campaign for APC, with some of us in ADC, some are in PDP, some are in Labour Party, some are in AA and other parties.”

He added: “So it ould not be possible for us to only vote for APC. We also want to bring in our government and they too want to retain their government. So let everybody do their own peacefully but they can’t force us to do what we don’t like.”

According to Haruna, the detained leaders could be taken to court and remanded in prison.

“So that APC will have no challenger,” he said.

The violence on Monday marked an escalation of political tension in Kafanchan. The ADC candidate, Hon. Adam Isah Tanko, had campaigned in the area earlier that morning without incident.

However, when the PDP House of Representatives candidate’s campaign team arrived in the evening, suspected APC thugs allegedly disrupted the rally, with police and soldiers also accused of backing the attackers.

Video clips shared with SaharaReporters showed people running for safety as thick white smoke from teargas canisters filled the surroundings.

The Kaduna State PDP governorship candidate, Usman Shehu Bawa, condemned the attack, describing it as “primitive and dangerous to the survival of democracy.”

In a statement issued by his spokesperson, Yusuf Idris, Bawa called on the APC government to provide an environment in which opposition parties could campaign freely.

“The APC, as the ruling party, should create an enabling environment for us that are in the opposition to sell our manifestos to the public and let the people make their own choices. What are they afraid of?” Bawa said. “By sending thugs to attack a campaign rally indicates that they are not visible in terms of providing dividends of democratic rule”.

The attack on the PDP rally also drew condemnation from the Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre, which on Monday called on President Bola Tinubu, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Nigeria Police Force and the Department of State Services (DSS) to respond promptly and impartially to emerging signs of political intimidation and violence ahead of the 2027 elections.

SaharaReporters contacted the Kaduna State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Mansir Hassan, for a reaction to the allegations, but no response had been received as of the time of filing this report.

When SaharaReporters contacted the Kaduna State Commissioner for Information, Ahmed Maiyaki, he confirmed that the police had made some arrests but insisted that the action had nothing to do with the state government.

According to him, the arrests were made by the police to prevent what he described as a chaotic situation in Kafanchan, adding that people from different political parties were among those arrested.

“I don't want to preempt the police investigation. Let's allow the police to finish their investigation,” Maiyaki said.