The former Speaker of the Kuje Area Council Legislative Council, Rt. Hon. Aisha Yakubu Abdulhameed, has reportedly been ambushed and physically assaulted by a group of youths in Kuje town, Abuja, following a reported altercation with the council’s Vice Chairperson, Hon. Hajiya Asebe (Zainab) Boyi.
The incident reportedly occurred shortly after a stakeholders’ meeting of a political alliance known as the “rainbow coalition” in Kuje town.
Eyewitnesses said Yakubu was attacked and harassed by a group of hostile youths as she was leaving the meeting venue. However, the identities of the alleged attackers and the precise circumstances surrounding the incident remain unclear.
The reported assault is believed to be connected to an earlier public disagreement between the former Speaker and Boyi, the current Vice Chairperson of Kuje Area Council.
Sources familiar with the meeting said tensions rose during deliberations, with tempers reportedly flaring before the gathering ended. The disagreement allegedly preceded the incident, although no independent confirmation has been provided to establish the exact link between the altercation and the reported attack.
The incident has triggered outrage among residents and community stakeholders, with concerns mounting over the use of violence to settle political disagreements in the Federal Capital Territory.
A community stakeholder condemned the reported attack, questioning the safety of political participants and the implications of allowing political disagreements to degenerate into physical violence.
“This is dangerous. If a former Speaker can be attacked in broad daylight, what is the fate of ordinary women in politics?” the stakeholder said.
The circumstances surrounding the incident, including whether the alleged attackers acted independently or were connected to any political interests, remain unverified. No evidence has been presented to establish who may have organised or sponsored the attack.
As of the time of filing this report, neither the office of the Vice Chairperson of Kuje Area Council nor the Kuje Police Command had issued an official statement on the alleged assault.
Community leaders have called on security agencies to investigate the incident, identify the alleged attackers and ensure that anyone found responsible is prosecuted in accordance with the law.
They have also urged political actors and their supporters to refrain from using violence or intimidation to resolve disagreements, warning that such incidents could heighten tensions and undermine peaceful political participation in the area.
The reported attack has raised questions about security and political conduct in Kuje Area Council, with calls for a thorough investigation to establish what happened, identify those responsible and prevent a recurrence.