- Minutes after the Labour Party (LP) governorship candidate in the 2024 gubernatorial election defected to the African Democratic Congress (ADC), on Tuesday, suspected political thugs stormed the party’s secretariat, destroying facilities and injuring party members.
The suspected thugs thereafter moved to the Benin GRA home of the National Leader of the ADC and former National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, where they shot sporadically and destroyed many vehicles.
Odigie-Oyegun Oyegun, it would be recalled, had a few minutes before the attacks, led other ADC leaders, including the LP presidential candidate in the 2023 general election, Mr. Peter Obi, to receive Olumide Akpata.
Reacting, the Public Relations Officer
of the Edo State Police Command, ASP Eno Ikoedem said.“On 24 February 2026 at about 2:55 p.m., a political gathering was held at the ADC State Secretariat located on Ogbelaka Street, off Sapele Road, Benin City, to welcome new members who defected from the Labour Party.
Shortly after the event concluded, a group of suspected hoodlums disrupted the premises and chased attendees away. Personnel of the Command responded swiftly to the distress call, prompting the suspects to flee the scene.
Some plastic chairs and canopies were damaged during the incident. No casualties were reported.
Security has since been reinforced around the premises, and normalcy has been fully restored. The situation remains under control while investigations are ongoing to arrest the perpetrators of this crime.
