The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has condemned a violent attack by suspected thugs on members and supporters of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) in Oregun, Ikeja, Lagos State, on Thursday, 12 November 2026.
The attack reportedly disrupted preparations for a town hall meeting scheduled to be addressed by the party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and his running mate, Rabiu Kwankwaso.
Recall that the attack was equally condemned by the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council. In a statement on Thursday by its spokesperson, Dele Alake, the Council called on security agencies to take firm action against those behind the attack.
However, in a statement posted on its X handle, SERAP said: “We condemn the reported violent attack by suspected thugs on members and supporters of the Nigeria Democratic Congress in Oregun, Ikeja, Lagos State.
The organisation urged President Bola Tinubu to direct the Inspector-General of Police, Mr Olatunji Disu, to ensure a prompt, thorough, impartial and transparent investigation into the incident.
It said the probe should identify the suspected perpetrators and anyone who may have organised, financed or sponsored the attack, and bring those responsible to justice.
SERAP also expressed concern over reports that Samuel Adebanjo, a multimedia journalist with TheCable, was attacked while covering the town hall meeting.
According to reports, Adebanjo was accosted by six suspected attackers, beaten and struck on the wrist with an axe. The attackers reportedly seized his camera, gimbal and microphone, which were worth millions of naira.
SERAP urged the police to thoroughly investigate the attack and ensure the safe recovery and return of his equipment. It added: “The authorities must also take effective measures to protect journalists from violence and intimidation while carrying out their professional duties.”
According to media reports and eyewitness accounts, the attack occurred at about 11:00 a.m. at the Classique Event Centre along Kudirat Abiola Way, Oregun, before Obi and Kwankwaso had arrived.
The incident reportedly caused panic, forcing attendees, pedestrians and motorists to flee the area. Shattered glass littered the venue, while several vehicles belonging to NDC members and supporters were vandalised.
A supporter who sustained a head injury told Channels Television that the attackers were armed with cutlasses and that some attendees attempted to resist them before the assailants retreated.
SERAP said the incident came against the background of other cases of violence and intimidation targeting political gatherings and supporters in different parts of the country.
It warned that such incidents “risk creating an atmosphere of fear, undermining citizens’ human rights and their ability to participate freely and safely in the political process ahead of the 2027 general elections.”
The organisation cited sections 39 and 40 of the Nigerian Constitution 1999 (as amended), Articles 9 and 11 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and Articles 19, 21, 22 and 25 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Nigeria is a state party. These provisions, it said, guarantee the rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, association and political participation.
SERAP said: “The Tinubu government has a responsibility to protect these rights, including against violence by non-state actors, and to ensure that political gatherings can take place without intimidation or unlawful interference.”
It also called on all political parties and their leaders to publicly condemn political violence, discourage their supporters from engaging in intimidation or retaliation, and respect citizens’ right to support and participate in the activities of parties of their choice.
“Political participation is a constitutional and human right, not a privilege to be granted or withdrawn by political actors or their supporters,” SERAP said. “No one should ever be attacked, threatened or intimidated simply for exercising that right.”
The organisation stressed that authorities must ensure a level playing field for all parties and candidates, and “act promptly to ensure that political thuggery and violence do not become normalised as Nigeria approaches the 2027 general elections.”
SERAP also urged the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mr Volker Türk, and the UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights to Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and of Association, Ms Gina Romero, to publicly condemn the reported attack. It asked them to call on the Nigerian authorities to take concrete steps to prevent further political violence and intimidation.
The group further called on the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, particularly its Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information in Africa, Commissioner Ourveena Geereesha Topsy-Sonoo, to urgently engage the Nigerian authorities over the attack, including the assault on Adebanjo.
It urged her to use her mandate to seek clarification from the authorities, call for effective protection of journalists and political participants, and monitor the investigation to ensure accountability and effective remedies for victims.
