The incident occurred on May 1, 2025, during a community gathering in the Mgbom Na-Achara Okposi area of Ebonyi State, where residents had convened to elect a new traditional ruler.

An undercover officer of the Nigeria Police Force, Detective Stanley-Duke Ngene, has been hospitalised after suffering a brutal assault carried out by over 20 soldiers of the Nigerian Army in Ebonyi State.

The incident occurred on May 1, 2025, during a community gathering in the Mgbom Na-Achara Okposi area of Ebonyi State, where residents had convened to elect a new traditional ruler.

SaharaReporters learnt on Monday that the soldiers stormed the venue in military gun trucks and an armoured tank, commanded by one Brigadier General Igwe Patrick Omoke.

“Detective Stanley-Duke Ngene is an undercover agent of the Nigerian police. He was on undercover duty in Mgbom Na-Achara Okposi, where a traditional ruler was to be elected according to customs and traditions,” an eyewitness told SaharaReporters.

“But after a while, Nigerian Army gun trucks and an armoured personnel carrier arrived there with more than 20 soldiers commanded by Brigadier General Igwe Patrick Omoke. They mercilessly assaulted and brutalised the police officer. He has landed in the hospital now, fighting for his life.”

A video footage of the incident obtained by SaharaReporters revealed the moment several heavily armed soldiers and others in plain clothes, believed to be working with the soldiers, pounced on Ngene.

He was punched repeatedly before two soldiers forcefully slammed him to the ground.

In a statement obtained by SaharaReporters, Detective Ngene, attached to the Ebonyi State CID and a native of Mgbom Na-Achara Autonomous Community, Okposi, provided a detailed account of the events leading to his brutal assault during an undercover operation at the traditional rulers’ election on May 1, 2025.

Ngene explained that the election was underway at Mgbom Central School, where voters were being screened according to the community’s customs for the selection of the new Eze, titled NAMOKE III of Mgbom Na-Achara.

He recalled, “About an hour into the process, Brigadier General Igwe Patrick Omoke arrived in an armoured personnel carrier and military gun truck, accompanied by approximately 20 armed soldiers.”

According to him, although Omoke was not in uniform, he wore “a folded blue T-shirt and light green trousers,” and was joined by Wing Commander Julius Nwite, dressed in a blue agbada, and several civilians including Chukwudi Esu Ude Ogu, Vincent Odoh, and Hon. Bernard Akoma.

Ngene said that upon their arrival, Omoke and the soldiers “began moving from canopy to canopy with the soldiers, addressing voters in a manner that openly violated electoral rules and incited public tension.”

He described how, instead of respecting the designated areas, “Brig. Gen. Omoke and Wing Cmdr Nwite forcibly took over the canopy meant for the Electoral Committee and the Development Union,” an act perceived by many attendees as a deliberate attempt to intimidate and provoke the community.

He provided important context about the community’s leadership structure, noting that “Mgbom Na-Achara is composed of four IKWUs (kindreds) distributed among eleven villages known as ‘The Ogwes.’”

According to the community’s 2019 Development Union Constitution, the Ezeship position was “zoned to IKWU Mgbom Enu Mgbom Eze,” a kindred to which Brig. Gen. Omoke does not belong.

Ngene further revealed that in 2024, Omoke allegedly conspired with members of the National Executive Committee (NEC) to “impose a candidate, Nze K.S. Onu, insisting on his selection without an election.”

He said this effort “was met with widespread protest and civil unrest, sparking a major leadership crisis within the Development Union.” Ngene shared a direct quote from a WhatsApp message Omoke sent on January 6, 2025, stating it would be “unfair if Nze K.S. Onu, whom he claimed he did not know, was not coronated.”

On the day of the disrupted election, Ngene recounted that despite the presence of police, DSS, and civil defence personnel, Omoke and his men arrived with “a battalion of soldiers and forcefully disrupted the process.”

He added that earlier suspicions about Omoke’s intentions had led to a venue change from April 26 to May 1 for security reasons, but Omoke insisted the election be held “in a particular location far from the urban centre.”

Ngene highlighted the controversy over voter eligibility, explaining that the Electoral Committee initially attempted to disqualify thousands of voters, restricting participation to an accredited list of only 801 people. However, the Local Government Chairman reportedly intervened, citing electoral guidelines that “all adults aged 18 and above are eligible to vote.”

This intervention “did not sit well with Brig. Gen. Omoke,” Ngene said, and in reaction, “Gen. Omoke and his men stormed out of their canopy and took control of the proceedings through a coordinated crowd-control operation.”

Ngene said, “Realising the growing tension, I approached Gen. Omoke and politely inquired whether there was any intelligence report justifying the militarised intervention in a peaceful civil event already secured by competent security agencies.

“I asked specifically: “Do you have any credible intelligence that justifies bringing an armoured tank and a gun truck into a peaceful village setting?” In response, Brig. Gen. Omoke slapped me across the face and immediately ordered his soldiers to kill me.

“I was beaten continuously, dragged from one end of the football field to the other, and as I struggled to breathe, they discovered my service pistol. This provoked a more brutal assault. I was repeatedly punched, kicked in the groin with military boots, and physically assaulted by Gen. Omoke, Wing Cmdr Nwite, and Chukwudi Asu Ude Ogu.

“Other soldiers joined in, using the butts of their AK-47 rifles to batter my head and body. Fearing for my life, I discharged a warning shot into the air with my service pistol. Eventually, the Divisional Police Officer and other officers intervened and rescue

“I was publicly humiliated and treated like a criminal. My clothes were torn, my wristwatch destroyed, and I suffered deep emotional and physical trauma. I was only saved through the intervention of the Ohaozara Divisional Police and the assistance of eyewitnesses, including Dr. Ogbonnaya Okorie, Engr. Jeffery Aja, Dr. Friday Cyprian Okoro, Sir Agwu C. Agwu, Etimercy Nwachi Okorie, and many others who witnessed the assault.

“My fundamental rights have been gravely violated, and I am in urgent need of medical treatment. I am also demanding justice.”

Ngene maintained that Brigadier General Omoke’s actions were driven by a deliberate agenda to impose an unpopular candidate on the community by force, in blatant disregard for the collective will of the people and in violation of the professional code of conduct expected of a senior officer in the Nigerian Army.

Efforts made by journalists to capture the assault were met with resistance from the soldiers, though some reporters persisted despite threats.

As the attack continued, Ngene was dragged through the venue, repeatedly kicked and beaten in a display of excessive brutality.

Efforts by other police officers and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) personnel to intervene proved unsuccessful, as they appeared overwhelmed by what resembled a commando-style military assault.

Detective Ngene remained in critical condition, receiving treatment for multiple injuries at an undisclosed hospital.

The army spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel Onyechi Appolonia Anele, she asked that the questions be forwarded to her via WhatsApp and assured that she would investigate the matter and respond. However, her feedback was still being awaited as of the time of filing this report.

Likewise, the spokesperson for the Ebonyi State Police Command, SP Joshua Ukandu, said he would require some time to make inquiries regarding the officer involved and the circumstances surrounding the incident.