Armed Men Kill Enugu Politician Ikechukwu Oloto

Some armed men have killed a leader of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Enugu State, Ikechukwu Oloto.

Reports say Mr Oloto was attacked at his home on Thursday evening in Odenigbo, Nsukka Local Government Area. The armed men stabbed him multiple times during the assault.

On Saturday morning, the police spokesperson in Enugu State, Daniel Ndukwe, confirmed the incident. Mr Ndukwe, who is a superintendent of police, said they received a report at about 5:45 p.m. on 17 September that Mr Oloto was “found in a pool of blood” at his home.

“Operatives quickly responded and found him with serious machete cuts to his head and stomach. He was taken to a hospital, where doctors confirmed he was dead,” he said in a message sent to this newspaper via WhatsApp.

The police spokesperson said the body of the deceased has been taken to a mortuary for preservation and autopsy. He added that the police have started a manhunt for the attackers.

Nsukka LG Reacts

In a Facebook post on Friday, the Chairman of Nsukka Local Government Area, Chinedu Asogwa, called the killing “an act of pure wickedness.” Mr Asogwa condemned the attack and promised to find the killers.

“To the family of Mr Oloto, I share in your pain. This administration stands with you in this time of grief. To the people of Nsukka, be assured: we are on top of the situation. We will not rest until those responsible for this terrible act are caught and punished,” he said.

“Every resource we have, including security personnel, intelligence networks, and community partnerships, will be used to protect lives. We will ensure that criminals have no safe place in Nsukka.”

Political Background

Mr Oloto was a prominent member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) until February this year. In October 2025, Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State and others moved from the Peoples Democratic Party to the APC.

By February this year, some APC members protested against the results of the party’s local government congress. They claimed that the “old APC” members were left out in the distribution of leadership roles. Mr Oloto was among many dissatisfied APC members who switched to the ADC in protest.