Benin City, Edo State
March 3, 2026 – Njenje Media News
The Department of State Services (DSS) has arrested a 26-year-old social media user identified as Udeme Stephen (also referred to as Udeme Monday Stephen or Udeme Sunday Stephen in some reports) for allegedly threatening the life of former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi after a violent incident in Benin City.
The arrest follows an attack last Tuesday on Peter Obi and chieftains of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) at the residence of John Odigie-Oyegun, a prominent ADC leader and former governor of Edo State. Yunusa Tanko, national coordinator of the Obidient Movement, reported that Obi and ADC leaders were targeted by armed individuals who trailed them from the ADC secretariat to Odigie-Oyegun’s home, firing shots and damaging vehicles.
Olumide Akpata, the Labour Party candidate in the 2024 Edo governorship election who recently defected to the ADC, described the incident as life-threatening. He revealed that his cousin sustained a serious head injury after being struck with a bottle during the assault. Shortly after the attack, Udeme Stephen allegedly posted on his X account (@stevetom788), claiming responsibility for the incident and issuing further threats against Obi.
In the posts, he reportedly stated that Obi was “lucky” to have survived the Benin attack and warned of additional violence during a planned visit to Rivers State. One message allegedly read: “We warned Obi against his entrance into Edo State, but he mistook our resolve for his Obidiots online noise. Thank his stars he survived this one… Na my men go handle that one and dem no dey miss target.”A security source confirmed that DSS operatives launched a swift covert investigation, utilising digital forensic tools to trace Stephen’s online activity. He was apprehended in Rivers State, where he works as a teacher at Jessica High School in Eliozu, Obio-Akpor Local Government Area. Stephen is currently in DSS custody and is expected to face charges soon.
The incident has heightened concerns over political violence and threats against opposition figures in Nigeria. Peter Obi and supporters have described the Benin event as an attempted assassination, while calls continue for thorough investigations into the attack’s perpetrators and sponsors. Njenje Media will provide updates as more details emerge from the ongoing DSS probe.
