The Kaduna State Police Command has detained 12 opposition party leaders following political violence that erupted during campaign activities in Kafanchan, Jema’a Local Government Area of the state.
The detainees reportedly include eight members of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and four members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). They were allegedly transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) in Kaduna for investigation.
Those detained include the ADC chairman in Jema’a, Ya’u Zakariya, alongside other party members, while the PDP detainees reportedly include the party’s Jema’a chairman, Hassan Yaro.
The arrests followed clashes and disruption during political campaigns in Kafanchan on Monday. The PDP campaign was reportedly disrupted by suspected political thugs, leading to the deployment of police and soldiers, with teargas fired as people fled the scene.
An APC chieftain, Isyaka Abdullahi Ladan, who was accused by an opposition supporter of directing APC youths to attack rival campaign teams, was reportedly arrested but later released.
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The development has triggered concerns among opposition supporters, who allege that the arrests could restrict their political activities ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The Kaduna State Government confirmed that the police made arrests but said the action was aimed at preventing further chaos and was not directed by the state government.
The state Commissioner for Information, Ahmed Maiyaki, urged the public to allow the police to complete their investigation.
Meanwhile, opposition figures and civil society groups have condemned the violence and called for equal opportunities for all political parties to campaign peacefully ahead of the 2027 elections.
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