Keyamo Seeks Police Investigation After Political Clash in Effurun, Alleges Billboard Destruction and Shop Looting

Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development Festus Keyamo has said he plans to petition the Inspector-General of Police over a political confrontation in Effurun, Delta State, alleging that campaign billboards were destroyed and shops looted during the incident. The confrontation occurred in Effurun, Uvwie Local Government Area, on Friday, September 18, 2026, amid political mobilisation activities ahead of Nigeria's 2027 general elections. While multiple reports confirm that a confrontation took place, competing accounts have emerged over who initiated the violence and what happened during the disturbance. Keyamo, an All Progressives Congress figure, accused individuals he described as supporters of the Nigeria Democratic Congress of being responsible for destruction and looting. The NDC side, however, had earlier alleged that suspected APC-linked political thugs disrupted its mobilisation march. The competing accusations have not been independently established, and the Delta State Government has ordered security agencies to investigate the incident. Keyamo alleges campaign materials were destroyed In a social media post about the incident, Keyamo alleged that people affiliated with the NDC damaged billboards erected in Effurun by Tompolo's Door-to-Door Campaign Organisation. He further alleged that some of those involved entered shops carrying dangerous weapons and stole property. Keyamo shared video footage which he said supported his account of the incident. However, the footage and available news reports do not independently establish the political affiliation of every person involved or prove all the allegations made by the minister. Keyamo also alleged that law-enforcement personnel were present with some of those involved and failed to stop the destruction. He said any security officer found through an investigation to have facilitated or tolerated criminal conduct should face disciplinary action. Minister says he will petition police Keyamo said he had instructed supporters not to retaliate or resort to what he described as self-help. Instead, the minister said he would formally petition the Inspector-General of Police and request a comprehensive investigation. He said the investigation should hold anyone responsible to account regardless of political affiliation, including APC members if evidence showed they had broken the law. The minister also criticised what he viewed as unequal public reactions to incidents of political violence. He compared the Effurun confrontation with the recent controversy surrounding the reported obstruction of Peter Obi's entourage in Benue State, an incident Keyamo said he had previously condemned. Earlier reports gave a different account Keyamo's allegations add another account to an incident that had already generated competing political claims. Channels Television reported on September 18 that an NDC political mobilisation march in Effurun was disrupted following a confrontation. According to that report, NDC supporters participating in a mobilisation exercise around Airport Road encountered a group the organisers accused of being APC-linked political thugs. Videos circulating online showed chaotic scenes, including people confronting one another and some individuals carrying sticks. Punch also reported a clash involving suspected supporters of the NDC and APC. Those reports did not conclusively establish which side initiated the confrontation. This makes it important to distinguish the confirmed occurrence of the disturbance from the competing political allegations about responsibility for it. Delta government orders investigation The Delta State Government responded to the incident by calling for an investigation. Commissioner for Works (Rural Roads) and Public Information Charles Aniagwu said Governor Sheriff Oborevwori had directed security agencies to investigate what happened and ensure that anyone found responsible faced the law. The government said political parties, candidates and supporters should be allowed to campaign peacefully without intimidation or obstruction. It also maintained that political affiliation should not protect anyone found to have committed an offence. The state government's response did not assign responsibility for the confrontation to either the APC or NDC. Instead, it called on security agencies to establish the facts. Conflicting claims remain unresolved The different accounts emerging from the Effurun incident highlight why several details should currently be treated as allegations rather than established facts. Keyamo's account alleges that NDC-linked individuals destroyed campaign materials, looted businesses and were accompanied by law-enforcement personnel. An earlier account from the NDC side alleged that its supporters were themselves attacked by suspected APC-linked thugs while participating in a political mobilisation exercise. Available video footage establishes that a disturbance occurred but does not, by itself, resolve every claim about who initiated the violence, who damaged particular properties or whether security personnel deliberately assisted any group. As of the reports reviewed, no publicly reported police investigation has conclusively assigned responsibility for all the alleged offences. Political tensions ahead of 2027 The confrontation comes as Nigerian political parties intensify mobilisation ahead of the 2027 general elections. Incidents involving alleged intimidation, vandalism or violence can become especially contentious during campaign periods because rival political groups may offer sharply different accounts of the same event. The Effurun incident has already produced such competing narratives. For now, what can be independently established is that a political confrontation occurred in Effurun on September 18, prompting concern from the Delta State Government and calls for investigation. Keyamo has said he will take his allegations to the Inspector-General of Police and wants those responsible prosecuted, regardless of their political affiliation. A police investigation could provide further evidence about who was responsible for the violence, whether shops were looted as alleged, the extent of property damage and whether any security personnel acted improperly. Until those findings emerge, allegations assigning responsibility to either political camp remain claims that require independent verification.