By Sandra Kenneth
The Rivers State chapter of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has strongly condemned the alleged disruption of its political meeting in Isiokpo, Ikwerre Local Government Area, and the subsequent arrest of three party members by the Nigeria Police.
The party’s State Publicity Secretary, Chizy Enyi, handed down a 24-hour ultimatum to the police command to release the detained individuals—identified as Confidence Amadi, Chikezie Justice, and Isaiah Thomas—or face comprehensive legal action.
Addressing newsmen, Enyi stated that the members were arrested during a peaceful consultative gathering convened by Jeffrey Wobodo, the ADC House of Assembly candidate for Ikwerre LGA, ahead of his campaign kickoff. According to the party, police officers, accompanied by members of a local vigilante group known as OSPAC, stormed the venue and dispersed the gathering.
While the police reportedly cited cultism allegations for the arrests, the ADC dismissed the claims as “baseless, politically motivated, and calculated to intimidate the opposition.”
“Our commitment to peace and the rule of law must never be mistaken for weakness or consent to persecution,” Enyi said, calling on the Inspector-General of Police, the Rivers State Commissioner of Police, and the National Human Rights Commission to intervene before recurring incidents escalate into a broader threat to democratic participation in the state.
The development follows an incident just weeks prior, where suspected hired assassins invaded and torched the residence of an ADC stakeholder in the Aluu community, further heightening security concerns among opposition parties in Rivers State.
