Senator Ireti Kingibe has alleged that she was assaulted and briefly held hostage by suspected political thugs during a disruption at the state secretariat of the African Democratic Congress in Gudu, Abuja.
In a statement issued on Saturday, the senator described the incident as a “barbaric and deeply unprovoked act of political thuggery” allegedly carried out during activities related to the party’s National Assembly primary elections.
According to Kingibe, the incident occurred around 3 p.m. on May 21, 2026, while she was at the ADC secretariat in her official capacity to monitor the distribution of election materials.
She explained that members of the primary election committee and several House of Representatives aspirants were present at what she described as a peaceful meeting before the situation turned violent.
Kingibe alleged that the disruption started after a man identified as Tijani Mubarak arrived at the venue with four others and engaged in a confrontation with the chairman of the committee, Abubakar Adams Chika.
The senator claimed Mubarak later assaulted the committee chairman during the disagreement.
She further alleged that the situation escalated after a female aspirant attempted to record the incident with her phone, prompting the suspected thugs to allegedly attack her and seize the device.
According to Kingibe, the woman was violently manhandled and injured during the struggle.
The senator also alleged that one of the men physically attacked her during the chaos.
“He reached out, grabbed me, and flung me violently against the wall, hitting my head against the wall with severe force,” she stated.
Kingibe claimed the attackers locked the office doors during the incident, trapping those inside and creating fears that the attack had been pre-planned.
She said the situation only ended after supporters outside the building forced the doors open, causing the alleged attackers to flee.
Following the incident, the senator said she reported the matter to the party leadership and filed a complaint at the Apo Police Station in Abuja.
She also disclosed that she later received treatment at Wuse General Hospital after experiencing severe headaches and blurred vision.
Kingibe called on the Nigeria Police Force and the FCT Commissioner of Police to investigate the matter and prosecute everyone involved.
The senator also condemned violence against women in politics, insisting that the alleged assault on herself and the female aspirant should not be ignored.
Despite the incident, Kingibe maintained that she remained committed to her responsibilities as senator representing the Federal Capital Territory.