Obidient Movement Threatens Nationwide Protests Over Arrest of Ben Smith, Elijah Noah

The Obidient Movement has threatened to mobilise supporters for nationwide protests over the reported arrest of its Akwa Ibom State Coordinator, Dr Ben Smith, and Obi-Kwankwaso (OK) Movement coordinator, Elijah Noah, during political activities in Uyo.

The movement made the threat in a statement issued by its Media and Communications Directorate following the disruption of a planned two-million-man solidarity march in the Akwa Ibom capital on Thursday. Reports said Noah was arrested during the incident, while Smith was later taken into custody after joining other supporters seeking the release of detained members.

The Obidient Movement described the arrests as an infringement on the rights of its members to peaceful assembly and political expression. It demanded the immediate and unconditional release of Smith, Noah and other members reportedly being held.

The group also accused the Akwa Ibom State Police Command and the All Progressives Congress of using state institutions to suppress opposition activities. Those allegations are the position of the movement and have not been independently established.

The police have given a different account of the events. The Akwa Ibom Command said it had ordered political parties, groups and associations to reschedule activities planned for October 1 after receiving intelligence that gatherings could be exploited to cause disturbances and threaten public peace. The Command also said eight people were arrested for allegedly engaging in acts capable of breaching public peace and disregarding security directives.

Commissioner of Police Baba Mohammed Azare said the decision was also linked to concerns over overlapping political activities in Uyo. He said the police had received an earlier request from the Peoples Democratic Party for activities between October 1 and 3, while the OK Movement later sought approval for its large march on October 1. The Command said it was concerned about its ability to adequately secure both gatherings.

Before the disruption, Smith had criticised the police directive and said the movement had spent more than N20 million on mobilisation, branding and logistics across the state’s 31 local government areas. He also maintained that organisers had previously received approval for the march before the police ordered it to be rescheduled.

The movement said it would continue to demand the release of its detained members and warned that failure by the authorities to address its demands could trigger wider demonstrations across Nigeria. It urged supporters to remain committed to what it described as the constitutional right to peaceful protest while accusing the authorities of creating unnecessary tension.

The dispute comes as political mobilisation intensifies ahead of the 2027 general elections, with the disagreement in Akwa Ibom highlighting competing claims over public security and the right to peaceful political assembly. For now, the police maintain that their actions were driven by security concerns, while the Obidient Movement insists that its members were targeted for exercising their political rights.