A political meeting organized by the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Kaduna descended into chaos on Saturday after suspected thugs allegedly backed by the state attempted to disrupt the event.
The gathering, which included former Kaduna State Governor, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, was intended to mark a transitional ceremony for the party.
Eyewitnesses claimed that after initial police efforts to block the event failed, a group of armed thugs arrived, shouting: “The governor sent us, just give us five minutes to kill them.” El-Rufai’s security personnel reportedly fired warning shots to disperse the attackers and apprehended one individual, who was later handed over to the Kaduna State Police only to be allegedly released without consequence.
Despite the violence, ADC supporters remain defiant. “If they think they can stop us or El-Rufai and the ADC, they should know we can’t be intimidated. We are not going to stop,” one supporter said.
In response to the incident, the Kaduna State Police Command stated that no prior notification was received regarding the political event. According to DSP Mansir Hassan, the gathering was unauthorized and ignored repeated warnings, creating a volatile environment for violence.
Hassan added that preliminary investigations suggest the violence was sparked by “political gangsters and thugs attached to the former Governor,” who fired shots during the meeting, disrupting public peace.
The police have launched a full investigation and warned that no one regardless of status will be spared if found culpable. They also stated that ADC officials denied knowledge of the meeting and distanced themselves from any El-Rufai-led faction.
The Command further issued a warning to hotels and event venues, stating that they would now be held liable for hosting political gatherings without notifying security agencies in advance. All unauthorized political meetings in the state are suspended until further notice, the statement concluded.
Meanwhile, a human rights lawyer condemned the attack, describing it as a “government-sponsored hoodlum assault” on a peaceful political gathering.
“Democracy means freedom of association and expression. People must be able to hold divergent political views without fear of violence. The fact that this attack happened in the presence of police officers is deeply troubling and unacceptable,” he said.
