Edo Shooting: DSS Detains Suspect Over Attack on Peter Obi, ADC Members 

The Department of State Services (DSS) has arrested a man suspected of orchestrating the recent attack on former Anambra State governor and 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, in Benin City, Edo State.

Obi, alongside former Edo State governor John Oyegun and several leaders and members of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), was attacked on February 24 shortly after a party meeting in the state capital. Armed men reportedly fired multiple gunshots near the venue moments after party officials returned from the ADC secretariat, where they had formally received former Labour Party governorship candidate Olumide Akpata into the party.

Though no fatalities were reported, the incident has heightened political tensions in Edo State and triggered widespread condemnation across party lines.

Reacting to the attack, Obi described the incident as unacceptable and vowed to pursue formal action. “We will make a formal complaint, and I assure you that this cannot continue,” he told supporters in Benin City. “We have a country, and we are part of the country. We cannot have terrorism terrorising the country and have officials in government terrorising citizens. It is unacceptable.”

The ADC leadership echoed similar sentiments. In a statement issued on Tuesday 24th February, the party’s spokesperson, Bolaji Abdullahi, said the party would neither bow nor retreat in the face of intimidation. “Let it be clearly understood: violence and intimidation are the weapons of those who fear the will of the people. Such actions stain our democracy and must be condemned by all who believe in freedom,” he said.

Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo also condemned the attack, describing it as an internal party dispute that escalated beyond control. While sympathising with affected party members, he alleged that “thugs and miscreants” had been imported into the state under the guise of political activity, warning that such actions would not be tolerated.

However, the governor’s response has drawn renewed scrutiny following the resurfacing of a 2025 video in which he appeared to issue a warning to Obi. In the 58-second clip, recorded during a political event in Uromi, Esan North East Local Government Area, Okpebholo cautioned Obi against entering the state without prior notice, stating that his security would not be guaranteed.

“There is a new sheriff in town. He cannot come to Edo State without telling me because his security will not be guaranteed. Whatever happens to him in Edo State, he will take it. I am serious about this,” the governor said in the video, which began circulating widely on social media shortly after news of the Benin attack broke.

The resurfacing of the footage has intensified public debate over political rhetoric and its consequences, particularly as Nigeria edges closer to the 2027 general elections.

While election-related tensions are not new, the normalisation of violence around opposition figures raises broader concerns about democratic consolidation and the safety of political actors. That a former governor and presidential candidate could be targeted in broad daylight underscores the fragility of political tolerance in parts of the country.

With investigations ongoing and one suspect already in custody, attention now turns to whether authorities will pursue accountability beyond the immediate arrest — and whether political leaders across party lines will temper rhetoric that risks inflaming an already volatile atmosphere.