Family Demands Justice After Motorist Dies From Gunshot Wounds During NDC Campaign Violence In Enugu

The family of 43-year-old commercial bus driver Ifeanyi Christopher Nworie, popularly known as Agima, has demanded justice following his death from gunshot injuries sustained during violence surrounding the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) campaign activities in Enugu State. The family is calling for the arrest and prosecution of everyone found responsible for the shooting, including anyone alleged to have sponsored the violence.

Nworie was reportedly shot on Saturday, October 10, 2026, around the Institute of Management and Technology (IMT) Junction, near Parklane Hospital in Enugu. According to his elder brother, Engineer Afam Nworie, the deceased was not a politician or campaign organiser but a commercial bus driver returning home after dropping off passengers when he encountered the disturbance.

Speaking in an interview published on Wednesday, October 14, Afam said his younger brother had dropped passengers at Old Park and was travelling in his Toyota bus when he noticed people running and shouting around the junction. He reportedly stopped and stepped out of his vehicle to find out what was happening.

Afam alleged that his brother was standing in front of his bus when a bullet struck him in the chest, causing him to collapse beside the vehicle. He said people at the scene helped contact the victim’s twin brother, who arrived and assisted in taking him to hospital.

The family initially took Nworie to Parklane Hospital, where they were reportedly informed that the facility could not adequately treat his gunshot injuries. He was subsequently referred to the National Orthopaedic Hospital in Enugu, where medical examinations reportedly revealed serious internal injuries around his heart and lungs.

According to Afam, doctors said Nworie required emergency surgery but referred him to a private hospital in the Government Reserved Area (GRA) after indicating that the procedure could not be performed at the facility. The private hospital reportedly demanded ₦4 million for the operation.

Afam said the family urgently raised and transferred the required ₦4 million, after which Nworie underwent surgery on Saturday evening. He said relatives were initially encouraged when a doctor contacted them approximately three hours later to report that the operation had been successful and that the patient was resting.

However, the family’s hopes of recovery were reportedly shattered the following day. Afam said Nworie remained unconscious in the intensive care unit, although relatives continued to hope that he would regain consciousness following the operation.

He further alleged that some individuals, including police officers and the governor’s Chief Security Officer, visited the hospital and spoke with the family’s mother. According to Afam, they assured the family that arrangements would be made for the government to take responsibility for the treatment and transfer Nworie to the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital for further care.

The family said it later received the news that Nworie had died on Sunday night, October 11, between approximately 9 p.m. and 10 p.m. Afam expressed frustration over what he described as a lack of subsequent communication from government officials and the police concerning the death and the progress of investigations.

He said the NDC governorship candidate, Christian Chinyeaka Ohaa, was the only political figure who had visited the family to offer condolences. The bereaved relatives are demanding that investigators identify the person who fired the fatal shot and determine whether other individuals participated in or organised the attack.

“We demand justice. All the people involved in the shooting must be arrested and their sponsors,” Afam said, according to the report. He also raised concerns about previous incidents of political violence in Enugu, arguing that residents should not lose their lives while going about their lawful activities during election campaigns.

The shooting occurred amid a series of violent incidents involving NDC supporters at the party’s campaign office in Enugu and at Akanu Ibiam International Airport, where supporters had gathered to welcome the party’s governorship candidate. The incidents have triggered competing accounts from the party and the Enugu State Government over the circumstances that led to the confrontations.

The Enugu State Police Command previously confirmed that a shooting occurred near the NDC secretariat and said an injured man had been taken to hospital. Police spokesperson Daniel Ndukwe announced that Commissioner of Police Bitrus Giwa had directed the State Criminal Investigation Department to identify and apprehend those responsible.

In its initial response, the Enugu State Government said a 43-year-old man identified as Ifeanyi Nworie had sustained a gunshot injury but disputed reports that anyone had died at the time. The government also denied allegations that the governor’s security personnel were responsible for the shooting. The family’s subsequent account of Nworie’s death has intensified calls for investigators to establish the full circumstances surrounding the incident.

Governor Peter Mbah has since called for a thorough and impartial investigation, stating that anyone found responsible for criminal acts should be held accountable through the proper legal process, regardless of political connections. He also expressed concern for those affected by the violence and reiterated that citizens should be able to participate in lawful political activities without fear of intimidation.

The NDC, meanwhile, has rejected the state government’s account of the airport incident and called for an independent and transparent investigation into the violence at both locations. The party has maintained that its supporters were subjected to attacks and that the authorities must establish who was responsible.

For Nworie’s family, the tragedy has left deep emotional and financial consequences. Afam said his younger brother had been preparing to formalise his marriage to his fiancée before his death. Their 83-year-old mother has also been left grieving, according to the family.

The case has renewed concerns about political violence ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 general elections and the need to protect citizens who may find themselves caught up in confrontations involving political groups and security personnel. Establishing who fired the shot, the circumstances in which it was fired and whether any individuals directed or facilitated the violence will be central to a credible investigation.

As of October 14, the reports reviewed had not identified anyone publicly arrested in connection with Nworie’s death, and no final investigative findings had been announced. The allegations against security operatives and other possible suspects remain unproven and require independent examination of witness accounts, forensic evidence and other relevant material.

Street News Reporters will continue to monitor the investigation, including any arrests, official findings from the police and further responses from the Enugu State Government and the NDC, as the family seeks accountability for Nworie’s death.