The Akwa Ibom State Police Command has arrested the state coordinator of the Obidient Movement, Dr. Ben Smith, after he went alongside other supporters to facilitate the release of detained members of the Obi-Kwankwaso political movement.
Smith was arrested at Ikot Akpan Abia after he and other supporters went to the police station following the earlier arrest of Elijah Noah, the Akwa Ibom State coordinator of the OK Movement.

Noah was arrested by the police during the Independence Day march organised by supporters of Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso in Uyo.

The planned two-million-man march was scheduled to take place on Thursday in support of Obi and Kwankwaso ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

Reports from Uyo said police officers moved against the supporters as they attempted to proceed with the march, with tear gas fired at some of the participants. Multiple reports also confirmed the arrest of Noah by the police.

The development followed a last-minute directive by the Akwa Ibom State Police Command ordering political parties, groups and associations to suspend and reschedule all rallies, meetings, processions and other political activities earlier approved for October 1.

The Obidient Coordinator for Akwa Ibom State, Dr. Ben Smith, who went alongside other supporters to facilitate the release of @ElijahNoah8 and other members reportedly arrested earlier, has now been arrested himself by the Akwa Ibom State Police Command in Ikot Akpan Abia.

The command said the directive was based on intelligence indicating that some individuals could exploit the gatherings to cause disturbances and threaten public peace. It consequently warned that no political party, group, association or supporter should proceed with activities based on approvals previously issued for the date.

The organisers, however, rejected the cancellation, insisting that preparations for the march had already been completed and that the event was intended to be peaceful.

Smith had earlier said the organisers spent more than N20 million on mobilisation, branding and logistics across the 31 local government areas of Akwa Ibom State.

He also said the organisers had met with the Commissioner of Police, Baba Mohammed Azare, before the march and had obtained approval before the command later directed them to reschedule the event.

Smith had questioned the decision to stop the march at the last minute, recalling that a similar solidarity march was held peacefully in the state in 2022.

The arrest of Smith came as supporters moved to secure the release of Noah and other members detained during the confrontation surrounding the planned march.

:APC-Backed Police Attack Peter Obi Supporters, Arrest OK Movement Coordinator In Akwa Ibom For Campaigning For Peter Obi, Kwankwaso

Supporters of the Obi-Kwankwaso movement have condemned the arrests and described the police action as intimidation, while the police have maintained that its directive was based on security concerns and applied to political activities across the state.