Human rights activist and former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, has denounced the brutal assault on activist Precious Onuche, popularly known as Mama P, allegedly carried out by thugs loyal to factional Labour Party National Chairman, Julius Abure, at the Benin Airport in Edo State.
The incident, first reported by SaharaReporters, occurred shortly after Mama P confronted Abure at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja. Eyewitnesses said she accused him of “frustrating Nigerians” and questioned his role in the crisis rocking the Labour Party. The verbal exchange continued until their arrival in Benin, where Mama P was allegedly waylaid and beaten by suspected Abure loyalists.
Shockingly, instead of apprehending the attackers, police operatives arrested Mama P and left the culprits unpunished — a move that has triggered nationwide outrage.
Reacting, Sowore described the assault as “unacceptable” and praised Mama P’s courage in speaking truth to power.
“I strongly condemn the Benin City airport attack on Mama P, a courageous political activist who uses social media effectively to call out societal wrongs,” Sowore said. “This attack must be condemned in the strongest terms, and security agencies must ensure the perpetrators are arrested and prosecuted immediately.”
Legal voices have also joined in the condemnation. Human rights lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, faulted the police for detaining Mama P while ignoring her attackers. He argued that her confrontation with Abure was peaceful and fell within her constitutional right to freedom of expression.
Citing Section 39 of the Nigerian Constitution, Effiong stressed that non-violent protest, including heckling political figures in public spaces, is a legitimate form of accountability in democracies worldwide.
“There is no law shielding politicians from public criticism. The evidence shows Mama P did not assault Abure, disrupt the flight, or commit any offence. The attack on her was clearly premeditated,” Effiong said.
The incident has continued to draw condemnation from Nigerians, with growing calls for Mama P’s release and for those behind the assault to face justice.
