The senatorial candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) for Ebonyi North, Chief Chikaodili Ojimba, has called on party members and supporters to remain calm and avoid reprisals following the murder of an elderly party supporter in Ohaukwu Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.
The victim, identified as Chief Amos Onwe Ubochi, a resident of Osege Village in the Umuogudu Oshia Ngbo community, was found dead a day after attending a prayer and endorsement programme for APGA candidates ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Ubochi, said to be in his 70s, left the endorsement meeting on Monday, August 17, and was reportedly trekking home when he was waylaid by unknown assailants. According to Tochukwu Ogalagu, the APGA candidate for the Ohaukwu/Ebonyi Federal Constituency, Ubochi had been in good health during the consultation, where he led fellow elders in prayers and offered his blessing to the candidates.
His family reported him missing when he failed to return home. His body was later discovered dumped in a stream in the area, with his mouth mutilated. Police said they received a report on Tuesday that the body had been found along a bush path in the community and dispatched officers to the scene before evacuating the remains to the Federal Teaching Hospital.
The Ebonyi State Police Command, through spokesman Superintendent Joshua Ukandu, confirmed that an investigation into the killing has begun.
The killing has heightened political tension in Ebonyi State ahead of the 2027 elections. Ojimba condemned what he called the “gruesome elimination” of the elderly man, noting that the death occurred only hours after Ubochi had participated in the party’s prayer and endorsement event.
APGA leaders in the state, including Ojimba, later led a delegation to visit the bereaved family. Ojimba described the incident as unfortunate, assured the family it would not be abandoned in its grief, and announced that the party had formally adopted the deceased’s family. He also called on security agencies to intensify their investigation and identify those responsible.
Some APGA figures have gone further in linking the killing to political intimidation. One party leader alleged that the murder appeared to be a fulfilment of threats made by “expiring political actors” in the Ebonyi/Ohaukwu Federal Constituency, and urged supporters to remain calm and vigilant while security agencies carried out their work.
Despite these tensions, party leadership has consistently emphasised restraint. Ojimba said he had confidence in the ability of the police, the Department of State Services, and other relevant security agencies to conduct a thorough investigation.
The killing adds to a pattern of political violence reported in Ebonyi State in the run-up to the 2027 elections, with other APGA campaign events in the state also facing security incidents in recent months. No arrests had been announced at the time of writing.
