The Department of State Services (DSS) has arrested a 26-year-old teacher, identified in multiple local reports as Udeme Stephen, over alleged threats linked to the February 24 gunfire incident involving former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi and other opposition figures in Benin City, Edo State. The arrest is being described as the first major breakthrough in an incident that has heightened political tension ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 election cycle.
Channels Television reported on Monday, March 2, that security operatives moved against the suspect after he was alleged to have posted threats on his X account shortly after the attack, warning of further violence against Obi. Other reports said DSS investigators used forensic and intelligence tools to trace and apprehend him. He is currently in custody and is expected to face prosecution, although authorities have not yet publicly announced formal charges.
The incident under investigation occurred after Obi, former Edo governor and ex-APC national chairman John Odigie-Oyegun, and other leaders of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) attended a political event in Benin City. According to the Edo State Police Command, “hoodlums” disrupted activities at the ADC secretariat on Ogbelaka Street, while a separate distress call later reported gunshots at Odigie-Oyegun’s residence. Police said officers who responded observed signs of malicious damage, including shattered vehicle windscreens and damage to property. No deaths were recorded.
The police said the unrest began after an ADC gathering held to welcome former Labour Party governorship candidate Olumide Akpata into the party. They added that security was reinforced in the area and that the state commissioner of police ordered a full-scale investigation to identify and prosecute those responsible.
In the immediate aftermath, Obi and his allies described the violence as a serious attack on democratic participation. ADC spokesperson Bolaji Abdullahi also condemned the incident, calling political violence a stain on democracy. A federal lawmaker, Ifeanyi Uzokwe, subsequently urged the police to carry out a thorough and transparent probe, warning that attacks on opposition figures threaten Nigeria’s democratic stability.
Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo condemned the violence but rejected suggestions of official complicity, describing the episode as an internal political crisis taken too far. With the DSS now holding a suspect, security agencies say the broader investigation remains open, including efforts to determine whether additional actors were involved.
