𝗖𝗹𝗮𝗶𝗺: Police has arrested an Enugu traditional ruler, ex-lawmaker, 8 others over attack on NDC meeting
𝗩𝗲𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗰𝘁: 𝗙𝗔𝗟𝗦𝗘
𝗕𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱:
A SaharaReporters publication dated September 27, 2026, reported that “a prominent Enugu traditional ruler, Igwe Obiora Igwesi, his brother, former federal lawmaker Hon. Uchenna Sunday A. Igwesi, popularly known as USA Igwesi, and eight other suspects have been arrested over the violent attack on a Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) ward meeting in Obuoffia, Nkanu West Local Government Area of Enugu State.”
According to the online platform, it “gathered that their arrests on Tuesday, September 22, ordered by the Inspector-General of Police, were executed by detectives from the Zone 13 Command in Ukpo, Dunukofia, Anambra State.”
Continuing, SaharaReporters revealed that their sources “told SaharaReporters on Sunday that those arrested alongside the traditional ruler and the former lawmaker include Uchenna Moses Ani (alias Odogwu), Chidi Ani, Oko Nwodo (alias Buzuzu), Dominic Arum (alias City Hangout), Ifeanyi Solomon Nwobodo (alias Agege), Victor Okechukwu (alias Ogboni), Nnabuike Ani (alias Stone), and John Chukuma Ogbodo.”
This claim was also repeated in a Punch Online publication dated September 28, 2026. Titled “Enugu monarch, ex-lawmaker, others in custody over NDC attack”, part of the report by a Punch correspondent, Raphael Ede, also read “Eight people were reportedly injured in the incident. They were identified as Donald Onovo, a local government ward councillor;…”
𝗩𝗲𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗰𝘁: 𝗙𝗔𝗟𝗦𝗘
𝗩𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗧𝗿𝘂𝗲 𝗣𝗶𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲
Our findings revealed that there was no arrest of Igwe Obiora Igwesi, his brother, former federal lawmaker Hon. Uchenna Sunday A. Igwesi, popularly known as USA Igwesi, and eight others by the Nigerian Police on Tuesday, September 22, 2026.
Our findings also revealed that there was no arrest of Igwe Obiora Igwesi, his brother, former federal lawmaker Hon. Uchenna Sunday A. Igwesi, popularly known as USA Igwesi, and eight others by the Nigerian Police on any day whatsoever before or after the reported Tuesday, September 22 date of arrest.
A search on the verified social media accounts of the Nigerian Police Force on X (@PoliceNG), Facebook (@ngpolice), or Instagram (@nigeriappoliceforce), showed that there was no report of such arrest on, before, and after September 22, 2026.
On X, a verified user, Alhaji Afunwa (@Krucifix), while responding to the claim of the arrest shared by another X user, Chuks (@ChuksEricE), asked grok to confirm the report of the alleged arrest. Grok responded: “Unable to confirm. No official police statement or credible news reports verify the arrests of Igwe Obiora Igwesi, USA Igwesi or others. SaharaReporters covered the earlier NDC meeting attack in Obuoffia but has no article on these arrests. The claim appears unverified and circulating only on social media.”
Additionally, PACESETTER can confirm that it has received videos of Igwe Obiora Igwesi, and his brother, Rt. Hon. USA Igwesi participating at the September 26, 2026 local government election in their Obuoffia ward. The video has been attached to this report. If Igwe Obiora Igwesi and his brother and ex-lawmaker, Hon. USA Igwesi were actually arrested, how were they also present to carry out their civic obligation of exercising their franchise?
Another person named as one of those arrested is Ifeanyi Solomon Nwobodo (alias Agege), who confirmed to PACESETTER that he was not in Enugu State on the September 22, 2026 date, but only returned to participate in the local government election on Friday, September 25, 2026.
The claim that one of those injured is a local government ward councillor is false as reports obtained from Nkanu West local government indicates that the named individual had been suspended by the Nkanu West Legislative Council and was no longer a sitting councillor of the local government.
John Chukwuma Ogbodo was also named as one of the eight persons in the alleged arrest. However, our findings revealed that John Chukwuma Ogbodo is the current Executive Chairman of Nkanu West LGA and was the APC Chairmanship Candidate in the local government election held on September 26, 2026, an election he eventually won and received his certificate of return from the Enugu State Independent Electoral Commission (ENSIEC) on Sunday, September 27, 2026. If he was actually in police detention, he couldn’t have been physically present as a candidate for the Saturday election.
The report by SaharaReporters from which the claim went viral did not imply or categorically state that the named persons were on bail but reported thus: “a prominent Enugu traditional ruler, Igwe Obiora Igwesi, his brother, former federal lawmaker Hon. Uchenna Sunday A. Igwesi, popularly known as USA Igwesi, and eight other suspects have been arrested over the violent attack on a Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) ward meeting in Obuoffia, Nkanu West Local Government Area of Enugu State”, an indication that the named persons were currently in police custody, according to them. If the arrest ever happened, Igwe Obiora Igwesi, Hon. USA Igwesi and the eight others couldn’t have participated in the local government election in full public view.
Igwe Obiora Igwesi, according to our findings has been in his Obuoffia palace, attending to his duties as a traditional ruler. His brother, Rt. Hon. USA Igwesi, has also been circulating in Enugu State, both unfettered.
𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗹𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻:
The report of the arrest is entirely 𝗙𝗔𝗟𝗦𝗘 and should be disregarded by the public.