The Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC) has condemned the reported fatal shooting of Mr Ifeanyi Nwolie during violence at a Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) political activity in Enugu State on 10 October 2026, and called for a prompt, thorough and impartial investigation.
In a statement issued on Thursday, 22 October 2026, and signed by its Executive Director, Okechukwu Nwanguma, the organisation also demanded protection for witnesses and accountability for everyone implicated by credible evidence.
According to TheNiche, Mr Nwolie was buried on 22 October in his hometown of Afa, Udi Local Government Area of Enugu State.
The report said Peter Obi attended the funeral and pledged to continue the monthly financial support the deceased provided to his mother for 15 months, through December 2027.
Nwanguma extended RULAAC’s condolences to the Nwolie family and acknowledged the gesture. “The bereaved mother deserves support, answers and justice,” he said.
He noted that on 5 October 2026, five days before the incident, TheNiche published RULAAC’s appeal to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security agencies to act against emerging political violence ahead of the 2027 general elections.
That earlier statement, he said, cautioned against waiting for fatalities before responding to threats, intimidation and disruptions of lawful political activities. It also called for politically neutral policing, investigation of credible threats, and accountability for those who recruit, finance, arm or direct perpetrators.
According to Nwanguma, Mr Nwolie’s reported killing “gives renewed urgency” to those demands. He said authorities must demonstrate what practical measures they are taking to protect political participation and prevent further loss of life.
While the report attributes the shooting to political opponents, Nwanguma stressed that the identity, affiliation and responsibility of those involved must be established through evidence. Public allegations, he said, must neither substitute for investigation nor be dismissed because politically influential persons may be implicated.
RULAAC called on the Enugu State Commissioner of Police to give a public account of investigative steps taken, subject to legitimate requirements for protecting witnesses and the investigation, and to provide regular updates to the family.
Nwanguma said investigators should secure medical, forensic and other relevant evidence; interview witnesses; establish how firearms came to be used at the event; and examine any evidence of planning, sponsorship or direction of the violence.
He urged the Inspector-General of Police to ensure effective oversight and adequate investigative support, adding that where credible evidence implicates anyone, prosecution must follow “regardless of political affiliation or status.”
Beyond the police, RULAAC renewed its calls on other institutions. It asked President Tinubu to publicly reaffirm that state institutions must protect lawful political competition and that political connections will confer no immunity from investigation or prosecution.
INEC, it said, should strengthen documentation and early reporting of political intimidation and violence, coordinate preventive responses with relevant institutions, and refer suspected offences for appropriate action.
The police and other security agencies were urged to assess threats before political events, respond promptly to credible warnings, protect all participants impartially, and investigate the organisers and sponsors of violence alongside its immediate perpetrators. The Enugu State Government and other state governments were asked to facilitate accountability, support victims and their families, and ensure public resources or state-backed security structures are never used to intimidate political opponents. Political parties and candidates, the group added, should reject incitement and armed intimidation, cooperate with lawful investigations, and discipline members found responsible through fair procedures.
Nwanguma said protection must also extend to witnesses, journalists and citizens who document political violence, stressing that reporting an attack must not expose anyone to retaliation, harassment or arbitrary arrest.
RULAAC said it supports calls for issue-based campaigns free of violence, ethnic hostility or religious bigotry, and that this commitment must be reflected in the conduct of political leaders, their supporters and public institutions.
“The freedom to attend a meeting, support a candidate or express a political opinion is central to democratic participation,” Nwanguma said, adding that no community or state should become inaccessible to lawful political activity because a rival party controls it.
He cautioned that MMrNwolie’s death must not become “another unresolved case,” noting that while financial assistance can help the family meet immediate needs, authorities remain responsible for establishing the truth and ensuring justice.
“No political ambition justifies the taking of a human life,” Nwanguma said. “Election security begins before election day, and the time to act is now.”
