Politics

Omo-Agege Escapes Assassination Attempt in Usiefrun, Six NDC Members Injured

Former Deputy President of the 9th Senate and Delta Central Senatorial candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Senator Ovie Omo-Agege

Omo-Agege Escapes Assassination Attempt in Usiefrun, Six NDC Members Injured

Former Deputy President of the 9th Senate and Delta Central Senatorial candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, has alleged that he narrowly escaped an assassination attempt in Usiefrun, Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta State, on Thursday, August 13, 2026 — an incident he describes as part of a “well-orchestrated campaign of violence” ahead of the 2027 elections. The former lawmaker claimed that armed men affiliated with Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori opened fire on his delegation during a ward-to-ward consultation, injuring six NDC members. Omo-Agege stated that the attack also targeted the NDC Governorship Candidate, Deacon Chris Iyovwaye, and other party leaders.

“Yesterday, Thursday, August 13, 2026, armed men affiliated with the Governor of Delta State attempted to take my life in Usiefrun. Thankfully, by God’s grace, they failed,” Omo-Agege said in a press release issued on Friday, August 14.

According to Omo-Agege, six NDC members sustained injuries in the shooting. He identified four of them as Mr. Believe Biadoyo, Mr. Joshua Oghenetega Oyibocha, Owhos Peter, and Ojiyovwin Dennis.

The Senator alleged that eyewitness accounts and video evidence identified the alleged masterminds as Hon. Simon Mudi, also known as “TEMPLE,” a Protocol Officer to Governor Oborevwori; Mr. Flash Oghenetega Origbon; Mr. Ochuko Origbon; and Mr. Alex Awherhurho. He further alleged that all four individuals are members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Delta State.

Omo-Agege linked Thursday’s incident to two earlier attacks he had flagged on July 29 — an alleged assault on Hon. Temple Mudi at the Petroleum Training Institute (PTI), Effurun, and an attack on Deacon Chris Iyovwaye in Agholokpe. He described the sequence of events as part of a coordinated campaign ahead of the 2027 elections.

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“On July 29, I raised the alarm about the rising violence in Delta. It was no longer a series of isolated incidents. Today, that warning has come to pass,” he stated. “Agholokpe happened. Effurun happened. Now Usiefrun. This is a pattern. Our warning has become evidence,” he added.

Significantly, the political tensions had already drawn an official response days before the Usiefrun incident. On August 11, 2026 — just two days before the alleged Usiefrun attack — the Delta State Government suspended the Commissioner for Works (Highway and Urban Roads), Reuben Izeze, indefinitely over allegations linking him to the assault on Simon Mudi at PTI, Effurun. The state government announced the suspension in a statement signed by the Secretary to the State Government, Dr Kingsley Emu, saying it was “to enable the security agencies to carry out an unbiased investigation of allegations associating him with the assault on the Senior Special Assistant on Protocol, Mr Simon Mudi.” A High Court sitting in Effurun had earlier remanded the embattled commissioner for 14 days over the alleged attack on Temple.

Omo-Agege seized on this development, noting the irony that Hon. Temple Mudi, who was earlier reported as a victim in Effurun, has now been named as a mastermind in Usiefrun.

The NDC candidate called on the Inspector-General of Police and the Delta State Commissioner of Police to arrest and prosecute the named individuals immediately. He also demanded that the Delta State Government suspend any appointee linked to the attack and urged security agencies to investigate the Agholokpe, Effurun, and Usiefrun cases as connected events.

Omo-Agege gave Governor Oborevwori 48 hours to publicly condemn the attack and ensure arrests, warning that “silence will be seen as complicity.” He also appealed to INEC, civil society organisations, and the international community to deploy observers to Delta Central, which he described as “unsafe” ahead of the 2027 elections.

However, in a swift reaction, Mr. Simon Mudi, the Senior Special Assistant to the Delta State Governor on Protocol, debunked the allegations, describing them as “malicious and baseless.” Speaking via telephone on Friday, August 14, Mudi challenged the Senator to produce the video evidence he allegedly referenced on his Facebook page and insisted that no such incident occurred. Mudi made it clear that he is presently receiving medical treatment in Asaba and could not possibly have been present at Usiefrun at the time of the alleged attack. He questioned how Omo-Agege and his associates could claim to have sighted him at the location when he was confined to the state capital for health reasons. He further clarified his identity and origins, stating firmly that he is an indigene of Ekakpamre community and has no residential or ancestral connection to Usiefrun, contrary to the senator’s assertion.

In a scathing assessment of the senator’s motives, Temple accused Omo-Agege of premature political desperation. He said the senator was already “wailing ahead of his looming failure” in the 2027 general elections, describing the outburst as both premature and revealing of deep insecurity. Temple predicted that Omo-Agege would suffer a decisive defeat at the hands of Senator Ede Dafinone, advising him to wait until after the polls before issuing such complaints.

As of the time of this report, there has been no official response from Governor Oborevwori’s office or the Delta State Government on the Usiefrun allegations. Security agencies have yet to issue an official statement confirming or denying the reported attack.

Despite the attack, Omo-Agege said the NDC would continue its ward-to-ward engagements. He urged his supporters not to retaliate, stating: “We refuse to be intimidated or silenced. Do not retaliate. Do not live in fear. Violence will not stop us. We will win on our ideas and our record, because Delta deserves capable leadership.” He concluded: “On July 29, I called it ‘a shame.’ Today, it is an assassination attempt and an assault on our democracy. Enough is enough.”