Several elderly men and women were reportedly hospitalised on Monday, November 2, 2026, after operatives of the Nigeria Police Force allegedly fired tear gas into a town hall meeting organised by the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) in Umuokara, Orba, Udenu Local Government Area of Enugu State.
The gathering, held at Ofu Okara village square, was organised as a prayer meeting for Dr. Frank Omeje Okenwa, the NDC deputy governorship candidate in Enugu State.
The incident has sparked outrage within the party, which condemned the alleged police action as a “savage and unprovoked” attack on peaceful citizens and demanded an immediate investigation into the conduct of the officers involved.
The development comes amid allegations of previous attacks against NDC members in Enugu State, including a fatal shooting reported on October 10. The party accused security operatives of failing to arrest those responsible for the earlier incidents while swiftly arresting an individual who recorded an attack on its members in Obunoffia Ward, Nkanu West Local Government Area, on September 12.
Documents obtained in connection with the latest incident indicate that the organisers had formally applied to the police for security coverage before the meeting.
A handwritten letter dated November 1, 2026, and addressed to the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of the Obollo-Afor Police Division, was reportedly submitted by Okenwa.
In the letter titled “Application For Police Coverage”, the NDC deputy governorship candidate requested police protection for the gathering scheduled to hold at Ofu Okara village square between 7am and 12pm.
The letter partly read, “I humbly apply for police coverage in a town hall meeting that will take place at Ofu Okara village Square in Orba Udenu LGA at 7 O’clock to 12, O’clock.
“I will be happy if my application is considered.”
In a statement issued by the Office of the Media Aide to Sir Christian Chinyeaka Ohaa, the NDC governorship candidate, the party alleged that the organisers not only applied for police coverage but also paid ₦160,000 for the service as directed by the DPO, Mr. Abraham Abrajas.
According to the party, the payment was made through a Point of Sale (POS) transaction before the meeting commenced.
“The event had already started. The elders were seated. Prayers were ongoing. It was in the middle of the meeting that ‘orders from above’ arrived,” the statement read.
The party further stated that about four police Hilux vans arrived at the venue under the leadership of the same DPO, despite the organisers having fulfilled the requirements for security coverage.
It alleged that the officers subsequently fired tear gas canisters directly into the gathering, causing panic among attendees, particularly elderly men and women who had assembled for the prayer session.
A video of the incident reportedly shows police officers firing tear gas into the crowded village square, while another video circulating online captured a white police pickup truck driving along a dusty village road as thick clouds of smoke billowed in the background and people scrambled to escape.
The NDC described the incident as the latest in what it called a sustained pattern of intimidation and violence against its members in the state.
The party recalled previous incidents in Obunoffia, at the airport and at one of its campaign offices, where a 43-year-old man was reportedly shot dead.
It accused the police of failing to make arrests over the alleged attacks, despite what it described as the availability of evidence and repeated complaints.
The party also questioned the arrest and detention of a man who allegedly recorded one of the attacks on its members. According to the NDC, the individual was subsequently remanded in custody over allegations of cyberstalking and cyberbullying.
It argued that the different responses demonstrated a disturbing pattern in which individuals allegedly responsible for violence against its members were left untouched, while those documenting the incidents were arrested and prosecuted.
The NDC further alleged that the attacks were politically motivated and linked to the growing popularity of its candidates, including its national political figures, Peter Obi and Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, as well as Ohaa.
The party explained that the Umuokara gathering was intended to be a peaceful prayer session for Okenwa, particularly after a parish priest who had initially agreed to celebrate a Mass for the event reportedly cancelled at the last minute.
Reacting to the incident, Ohaa described the alleged police action as an act of wickedness driven by political desperation.
“How does a government that claims to love Ndi Enugu order the tear-gassing of defenceless grandfathers and grandmothers in their own village hall simply because they came in their numbers to pray for their son who is contesting election? This is not governance. This is desperation,” Ohaa stated.
Okenwa also expressed shock over the incident, accusing the police of collecting money from the organisers for security coverage before allegedly turning against the same people they were expected to protect.
“The police, through DPO Abraham Abrajas, collected money from us via POS for coverage and still turned around to attack us with tear gas. This is the height of treachery and political oppression. I will not abandon my people,” he said.
Citing Section 40 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, which guarantees the right to peaceful assembly and association, the NDC maintained that the police had no justification for allegedly disrupting a peaceful gathering organised for prayers.
The party consequently called on the Inspector-General of Police and the Enugu State Commissioner of Police to immediately investigate the incident, particularly the alleged conduct of DPO Abrajas and the officers deployed to the venue.
It demanded the identification and punishment of every officer involved in the alleged assault, full medical support and compensation for those injured, as well as a public apology to the people of Umuokara and Ndi Enugu.
The NDC insisted that the alleged intimidation would not derail its political activities or its planned “Rescue Mission” in Enugu State, urging its supporters to remain resolute ahead of the forthcoming elections.
Meanwhile, attempts to obtain the reaction of the Enugu State Police Command regarding the incident, the allegations against DPO Abrajas and the reported failure to arrest suspects in previous attacks were unsuccessful.
Calls placed to the Command’s spokesperson, SP Daniel Ndukwe, were not answered as of the time of filing this report.