Metro
Police probe attack, burning of Rivers ADC member’s home
The Rivers State Police Command has launched an investigation into the attack on the family residence of a member of the African Democratic Congress, Isaiah Thomas, in Omuoko village, Aluu, Ikwerre Local Government Area of the state.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, Blessing Agabe, confirmed the incident to our correspondent on Thursday, saying the command was investigating the cause of the fire and the alleged attack.
“Yes. Investigation is ongoing to ascertain the cause of the fire and alleged attack in that community,” Agabe, an Assistant Superintendent of Police, stated.
It was gathered that more than five armed men stormed the community early Wednesday and headed straight to Thomas’ family residence, demanding to see him. He was, however, not at home.
Angered by his absence, the assailants reportedly ransacked the residence and looted property belonging to the family and tenants before setting the building ablaze and fleeing the scene.
The incident occurred barely 24 hours after campaigns officially opened for the presidential and National Assembly elections.
Speaking to journalists, Thomas’ mother, Uchechi, alleged that the attackers arrived in large numbers, armed with guns, and set some buildings within the family compound on fire.
She said household property was destroyed during the attack, adding that the assailants were looking for her son, who had hosted a meeting of ADC members at the family compound the previous day.
Although she said she did not know the identities of the attackers, Thomas stated, “They asked me to tell them what was happening in the compound. They broke my son’s house. It was later that I heard that the meeting my son held with youths of Omuoko and other places was the cause of the problem.
“When I asked which meeting, they said it was an ADC meeting. They asked why my son did not join them instead of joining another party.
“They broke the house, set it on fire, and carried my mattress, television, fridge and generator. They broke other things, even my tap, and started shooting.”
Some tenants whose apartments and property were affected also recounted their experiences.
One of them, who asked not to be named for fear of being traced, said, “This thing happened around 2 am on Wednesday. They came and knocked on my door. I asked who they were and they said they were security men, so I opened the door.
“They asked where my landlord was. I told them he was not around. They started breaking the windows and doors. They then set fire to the building and started shooting.”
Another tenant, who operates a business on the premises, alleged that the assailants attacked him, stole money from him and manhandled his aged parents before setting the building ablaze.
“I operate a Point of Sale business. They took some of my money, and I have a four-month-old baby. I didn’t sleep. The place is burnt, and we don’t have anywhere to go to,” he said.
Meanwhile, in a video circulating on social media and seen by our correspondent, Thomas narrated how his house was allegedly set ablaze after he hosted a meeting of party members.
He said, “How old am I? Barely 30-something years. You want to kill me and hijack my system. It cannot work.
“Look at the level of damage done here. My tenant lives here with his wife. His second son is barely four months old. He does POS business. They collected his money, burnt part of the money and burnt my house too.
“My mother was beaten black and blue. On what grounds? For what?”
The Chairman of the Ikwerre Local Government Area, Charles Nwobodo, condemned the attack, describing it as unacceptable.
Nwobodo said that as soon as he was informed of the incident, he deployed his Chief Security Officer to the community for an on-the-spot assessment.
He assured residents that the council would work with security agencies to identify those behind the attack and ensure that they were brought to justice.
According to him, “This afternoon, my CSO called me about what happened in their community. I told him to go and find out what really happened.
“If it is political, as they said, I totally condemn that, where our people will lose their houses and other property in the name of politics.
“That is unacceptable in Ikwerre Local Government. Please, I need peace in Ikwerre Local Government. I don’t accept any form of violence, and people should do the right thing so that all of us can be safe.
“It is my responsibility as local government chairman to protect everybody in Ikwerre Local Government. But you also have to help me in terms of information and all that, so that I can act based on that.”
In a statement, the state ADC publicity secretary, Chizi Enyi, condemned what he described as a targeted attack on party members in the course of their lawful activities.
Enyi said the party’s governorship candidate and state chairman had visited the scene to assess the damage, while calling on the police and other security agencies to identify those behind the attack.
The statement read, “Our members have been threatened, intimidated and attacked for exercising their constitutional right to associate and participate in political activities.
“In the latest and particularly disturbing incident, the residence of our member, Mr Thomas Madubochi, was attacked in the early hours of Wednesday following a political meeting held the previous day.
“The premises were ransacked, property was looted, and the house was subsequently set ablaze. There are eyewitness accounts relating to the incident which should form part of a thorough investigation by the security agencies.”
Enyi said the ADC was a peaceful and law-abiding political party that neither advocated violence nor encouraged retaliation, reprisals or vigilantism.
“We shall continue to conduct our political activities peacefully and in accordance with the Constitution and laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“We call on the police and other security agencies to immediately carry out a thorough investigation into the attack on Mr Madubochi’s residence, including the ransacking and looting of the premises and its subsequent burning,” he added.
A Magistrate Court in Port Harcourt has ordered the remand of three members of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, from Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State; Confidence Amadi, Chikezie Justice and Isaiah Thomas, at the Port Harcourt Correctional Centre.
The three men were brought before the court by the Rivers State Police Command on three charges, including conspiracy, alleged cult-related activities and threat to life.
At the hearing on Tuesday, the prosecution asked the court to remand the suspects through an ex-parte application.
The prosecution said the Magistrates’ Court lacked the power to hear the case and that the remand would allow the police to take the matter to a court with the proper jurisdiction.
Presiding Magistrate Obiangeri Onugbum-Onuoha granted the application and ordered that the three suspects remain in the correctional centre.
The case was adjourned until October 2nd, 2026.
The ADC had explained that the three were arrested during a peaceful consultation meeting organized by its House of Assembly candidate for Ikwerre Local Government Area, Jeffrey Wobodo, in Isiokpo, ahead of his campaign activities.
The State ADC Publicity Secretary, Chizy Enyi, alleged that the All Progressives Congress, APC, had been trying to restrict the political activities of opposition parties in Ikwerre Local Government Area.
The ADC, however, rejected the cultism allegations against the three men as baseless and politically motivated, claiming that the arrests were intended to intimidate opposition members.
The Federal Ministry of Education headquarters in Abuja was on Tuesday thrown into turmoil as protesting workers shut down the ministry, booed senior officials and prevented the Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Ahmad, and the Acting Permanent Secretary, Dr. Folake Olatunji-David, from accessing their offices.
The protest, which entered its fourth day, was triggered by a recent circular announcing the concessioning of King’s College, Lagos, a development the workers described as unacceptable and a threat to the future of Nigeria’s public education system.
The protesters, under the Joint Council representing four major staff unions in the ministry, accused the Federal Government of using the King’s College concession as a possible starting point for concessioning other federal unity schools across the country.
They warned that such a policy, if allowed to continue, could increasingly place quality education beyond the reach of children from poor and working-class families.
Addressing journalists at the ministry’s entrance, Chairman of the Joint Council, Comrade Onukhe Abraham, questioned the rationale behind the concession of King’s College, particularly at a time the Federal Government had approved the employment of more than 3,000 Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) staff to address manpower shortages in federal unity schools.
“If Mr President has approved the employment of over 3,000 PTA staff, where will these new workers work if existing teachers are being displaced from King’s College?” he queried.
The workers were particularly angered by a circular reportedly signed by the Acting Permanent Secretary, directing teachers who could not remain at King’s College following the concessioning arrangement to seek postings to other schools in Lagos State.
The circular, they said, had heightened concerns over job security and the future management of federal unity schools.
The unions insisted that King’s College is a national asset that should remain under public management, arguing that its continued accessibility is vital to children whose parents cannot afford expensive private education.
“Once King’s College goes, others will follow. The children of the poor must be able to attend King’s College. It is one of the assets Nigeria has and it must not go that way,” Abraham said.
The workers vowed to escalate the industrial action if the Federal Government fails to reverse the concessioning decision.
“If there is no reversal of the concessioning, there will be no resumption in all the unity schools in the country and the headquarters will remain shut,” the Joint Council warned.
The protesters also rejected a meeting reportedly held on Monday between Education Minister, Dr. Tunji Alausa, and some leaders of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), describing the outcome as “null and void” because the recognised leadership of the Joint Workers Committee was not represented.
National President of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN), Comrade Bola Audu, told the protesters that a fresh meeting between the recognised union leadership and the Minister had been rescheduled for Wednesday at 4pm at the Minister’s Conference Room.
Audu said the recognised Joint Workers Committee remained the legitimate body mandated to negotiate with the ministry on behalf of the aggrieved workers.
Another union leader, Mr. Andrew Adejoh, appealed to the protesters to remain calm and united, saying the proposed meeting with the Minister would provide an opportunity for the unions to properly articulate their grievances and present their demands.
Adejoh urged the ministry to ensure that the meeting was held promptly, noting that many union leaders had travelled from different parts of the country and needed to return home after the engagement.
The unions also accused the ministry of neglecting several longstanding staff grievances, including stagnation of Education Officers, delayed promotions and unresolved welfare issues.
They further raised concerns over alleged plans involving land swaps at Federal Government College, Kano, and the Suleja Academy School for the Gifted in Niger State, describing the developments as part of a growing threat to public education assets.
Meanwhile, Chairman of ASCSN at the ministry, Comrade Ngadi Sampson Chigozie, alleged that security agencies, including the Department of State Services (DSS), had been deployed around the protest.
He expressed concern over alleged threats to the lives of union leaders, insisting that the workers’ protest remained peaceful.
The crisis took a dramatic turn when the protesters separately booed the Minister of State for Education and the Acting Permanent Secretary as they attempted to enter the ministry, effectively preventing them from gaining access to their offices.
The workers, however, said they remained open to dialogue, provided the Federal Government was prepared to address the concessioning issue and other grievances.
They vowed to sustain the shutdown until concrete assurances were given on the future of King’s College and the broader policy direction concerning federal unity schools.
The Nigerian Army has warned that terrorist groups, including the Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP), may be planning coordinated attacks on schools, NYSC orientation camps, churches, and other vulnerable public places across the country.
The army made the observation in a statement dated September 9, 2026, signed by AM Sodiq and addressed to the General Officer Commanding, 2 Division, Nigerian Army, Adekunle Fajuyi Cantonment, Ibadan.
It explained that there is increasing mobilisation of resources and foot-soldiers by terrorist groups for possible attacks in parts of the country.
The Army also said it had received information about the movement of scores of armed fighters from Katsina through Kaduna towards Plateau State.
The military further disclosed that suspected ISWAP members had started monitoring some of the identified targets, allegedly with the help of local collaborators.
While noting that the attacks could happen any moment from now, the Army expressed particular concern about schools ahead of the resumption of the 2026/2027 academic session.
It said the terrorists could be planning to exploit the return of large numbers of students and teachers to cause mass casualties and create fear.
The military added that the timing was intended to exploit the concentration of students and staff to cause mass casualties as well as heighten public fear and insecurity ahead of the 2027 general elections.
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