The Senior Special Assistant on Protocol to Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, Simon Mudi, popularly known as Temple, has called for justice after he was brutally attacked during a Delta Central All Progressives Congress (APC) stakeholders’ meeting, leaving him with serious injuries that required 11 stitches to his head.
Speaking about the incident, Temple alleged that more than 70 men were mobilised to assault him at the meeting held at the Petroleum Training Institute (PTI) Conference Centre in Uvwie Local Government Area.
According to him, the attack was a continuation of an earlier assault that allegedly occurred on June 26 during a burial ceremony in Okwagbe, where he claimed over 24 youths attacked him in the presence of several witnesses, including Governor Oborevwori. He said he deliberately chose not to retaliate in order to avoid escalating tensions.
Temple alleged that the attackers struck again during the APC stakeholders’ meeting after he received a warning from an associate that a group of men had been mobilised against him. He claimed that about a dozen men initially confronted him before others joined in, attacking him with broken bottles and stabbing him several times.
He said the attackers only fled after people at the venue rushed toward the scene. The governor’s aide described the experience as traumatic, saying he narrowly escaped death and remains under medical care for multiple injuries.
Temple further questioned the alleged involvement of a senior government official in the incident and insisted that those responsible should be brought to justice, describing the attack as unacceptable.
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The violence disrupted the APC stakeholders’ meeting attended by prominent party leaders and government officials. Conflicting accounts have emerged over what triggered the clash, with some sources linking it to political disagreements, while others suggested it may have involved rival groups.
However, the Commissioner for Works, Reuben Izeze, has denied orchestrating the attack. He maintained that he was not at the scene when the violence began and instead alleged that Temple initiated the confrontation by attacking another attendee with a plastic chair, prompting others to retaliate. He also claimed he was assaulted during the chaos and lost personal belongings.
Meanwhile, the Guild of Online Media Editors and Publishers of Nigeria (GOMEP-NG) has condemned the violence and urged security agencies to conduct a thorough investigation and ensure that anyone found responsible is prosecuted. The organisation warned that violence involving political office holders threatens peace and democratic governance in Delta State.
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