Gunmen ambushed the convoy of a House of Assembly candidate in Ebonyi State on Thursday afternoon, October 22, 2026, killing one person and injuring three others. The attack targeted Rollins Offia-Nwali, the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) candidate for the Ezza South Constituency seat, as he was returning from Amaezekwe Community in Ezza South Local Government Area at around 4:00 p.m.
Police Response and Casualties
The state police spokesperson, Joshua Ukandu, said the command received a distress call and quickly deployed operatives to Amaezekwe Community. According to Ukandu, police officers found four individuals with gunshot wounds and a vehicle that had been burnt at the scene.
As Premium Times reported, Ukandu confirmed the attack in a statement released on Friday, October 23, 2026. "One of the victims was confirmed dead at the hospital, while the three others are receiving medical treatment," Ukandu said.
Candidate's Account and Reaction
In a statement released on Thursday night, Offia-Nwali said the attackers fired on his convoy and destroyed one of his vehicles. "My Toyota Hilux was set ablaze and completely burnt in the attack," he said. The candidate expressed gratitude for his own survival and credited security operatives with protecting him and others present during the incident. He also acknowledged that casualties occurred among those who carried out the attack and offered his condolences to all affected families.
"Regardless of the circumstances, the loss of human life is deeply regrettable," Offia-Nwali said. He used the occasion to caution youths against being recruited as instruments of political violence. "No political ambition is worth the life of any young person, and no young person should have to lose their life in pursuit of another person's political ambition," he stated.
Political Context and Determination
Offia-Nwali seeks to unseat Friday Ogbuewu, the incumbent representing Ezza South Constituency on the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) platform. Despite the attack, the candidate said he would not abandon his bid. "As for us, we are prepared to make the sacrifices necessary to serve our people, and I assure you that no amount of intimidation or violence will deter us from this course," he said.
This is not the first attack on NDC supporters; suspected political thugs attacked the party's supporters at Akanu Ibiam International Airport in Enugu. Meanwhile, Legit.ng also reported that suspected hoodlums attacked and tied up Fiidi Council Ward NDC chairman, Igbu Terhemen, in Makurdi, Benue state, on Tuesday, September 29, 2026. Terhemen was found unconscious in a bush near his home around 2 am on Wednesday, with a needle-like mark on his body. The NDC condemned the killing and called on security agencies to identify and arrest those responsible.
