Armed militia suspected to be working for the Enugu State Government, on Saturday, 9 August, allegedly disrupted a rally organised by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to welcome defectors from other parties. The venue of the event was St Charles Catholic Church, Opi in Nsukka Local Government.
The thugs injured people and destroyed equipment.
The Enugu State Chairman of APC, Barr Ugochukwu Agballa and Hon Minister Uche Nnaji were Guests of Honour.
Minister for Innovation, Science and Technology, Chief Uche Geoffrey Nnaji NWAKAIBIE was billed to welcome into APC Enugu State Chapter, the new entrants/members from PDP, LP, APGA, ADC and YPP.
Those who came to scatter the place claimed that the Governor was visiting the Local Government, and, as an APC member told TheNEWS, “We can’t be having a Rally for President Bola Armed Tinubu (PBAT)
Enugu State Government orchestrated attacks against our Defections Rally, where we were championing the re-election of PBAT.”
The member added: “After Three Desperate Attacks by Armed State Militias, The Resilient Tsunamic Broom Revolution in Nsukka Local Govt Stood Our Ground Crowding Out Political Opponents Is In Our DNA. Our Structure Is The Game-Changer In Nsukka Zone. Onye ruo uka, ofu na anya!!”
Attached is an article on the incessant harassment:
From forests to rallies — why the Neighbourhood Watch and Forest Guard are failing in security but thriving in political intimidation.
By Chukwunonye Okereke
When the All Progressives Congress (APC) gathered in Nsukka for a defection rally meant to welcome new members, the crowd expected cheers, speeches, and music. What they got instead was fear, chaos, and the unmistakable taste of tear gas in the air.
Eyewitness accounts, video evidence, and testimonies from local leaders point to an orchestrated disruption carried out by men in the uniforms of the Neighbourhood Watch and Forest Guard — outfits that are funded by taxpayers but answer, in practice, to political masters.
The Forest Guard, originally established to protect rural areas from bandits and herdsmen, has been notoriously absent in the forests where their presence is most needed. Farmers still face constant attacks, kidnappings, and destruction of crops.
The Neighbourhood Watch, too, was meant to complement police efforts in keeping communities safe. But in recent months, both have developed a new specialisation: breaking up opposition gatherings.
“This wasn’t about security,” said a rally participant who narrowly escaped arrest. “This was about showing us who controls the ground — and it’s not the police, it’s politicians using state-backed thugs.”
The Nsukka disruption is not an isolated case. In the past 18 months, opposition meetings in parts of Enugu have been either denied venues, shadowed by security operatives, or outrightly scattered under the guise of “maintaining public order.” Local Government chairmen — most of them ruling party loyalists — are often accused of coordinating such actions at the grassroots level.
Analysts say the implications for 2027 are chilling. “What we’re seeing is the slow conversion of community security outfits into political militias,” warns political scientist Dr. Obinna Eze. “Once you normalise using them to intimidate opponents, elections stop being a contest of ideas — they become a contest of force.”
The Enugu State Government has so far remained tight-lipped, not explain the Nsukka incident. The Nsukka Local Government chairman, directly implicated by multiple witnesses, has refused media interviews.
Meanwhile, civil society groups are calling for an urgent independent investigation, warning that continued silence will embolden further abuses. “These outfits are funded with public money,” said a spokesperson for the Centre for Democratic Freedoms. “They must serve the public interest, not the political interest of those in power.”
Beyond the immediate political dangers, there’s a practical cost: when Neighbourhood Watch and Forest Guard units are diverted to political errands, communities remain exposed to real threats. Farmers in rural Nsukka say they have not seen meaningful patrols in months. Cases of kidnapping and farm raids are rising.
“The forests are unsafe, the roads are unsafe, but rallies are unsafe too — just for the opposition,” lamented a youth leader from the area.
As the state heads toward the 2027 elections, the question for Enugu’s democracy is stark: Will security outfits return to their constitutional purpose, or will they remain political instruments in uniforms? For now, the boots on the ground seem more interested in policing politics than protecting people.
*Chukwunonye Okereke is a public affairs analyst and strategist
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