ABUJA – The recent assault on a lawmaker in Zamfara State highlights a growing and violent trend of “jungle justice” against the political class. Across Nigeria and even in the diaspora, aggrieved citizens are increasingly abandoning traditional protests in favour of physical confrontations, stoning, and public humiliation of officials they accuse of abandonment and looting.
Below is a compiled record of high-profile incidents where Nigerian political leaders were physically attacked by the people they represent:
- Hon. Kabiru Mikailu (Zamfara State, December 2025)
The lawmaker representing Maru South was publicly slapped, dragged, and stoned by a mob of youths in Dansadau. Despite being in the convoy of the State Governor, the youths singled him out, shouting “Bamayi” (We are no longer with you). They accused him of failing to visit the community for over two years while residents were being slaughtered by bandits.
- Senator Ike Ekweremadu (Nuremberg, Germany, August 2019)
In one of the most famous international embarrassments for the Nigerian legislature, the former Deputy Senate President was physically attacked by members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). Ekweremadu was dragged out of a venue, pelted with eggs, and had his clothes torn. The attackers claimed he and other South-East leaders failed to stand up for their people during military operations in the region.
- Senator Matthew Urhoghide (Benin Airport, April 2018)
The Senator representing Edo South was assaulted by a mob immediately upon his arrival at the Benin City airport. His attackers knocked off his cap and physically harassed him. The anger reportedly stemmed from his motion on the floor of the Senate to investigate and potentially impeach then-President Muhammadu Buhari over unapproved spending.
- Minister Rotimi Amaechi (Madrid, Spain, December 2019)
The former Minister of Transportation was accosted and chased by a group of angry Nigerians at a climate change summit in Spain. Amaechi later confirmed on social media that he had to be rescued by Spanish police after the protesters attempted to “de-robe” and physically assault him over the state of the Nigerian economy.
- Senator Suleiman Abdu Kwari (Kaduna, 2021)
The Senator representing Kaduna North faced a hostile reception when his convoy was blocked and pelted with stones by angry constituents. The locals expressed fury over the rising insecurity in the state and what they described as the “deafening silence” of their representatives in Abuja while they lived in fear of kidnappers.
- Hon. Jerry Otu (Ikot Ekpene, April 2026)
In a recent incident in Akwa Ibom, a planned “thank you” visit by the lawmaker turned into a chaotic scene as constituents blocked his path and rejected his bags of rice and 2027 second-term bid. The youths openly mocked the lawmaker, telling him his “immunity is expiring” and that his performance had been a “woeful failure.”
- Various APC/PDP Lawmakers (Kano & Katsina, 2024-2026)
Several federal and state lawmakers in the North-West have recently had to escape through back exits of event centres or rely on heavy security cordons to avoid being lynched. The common theme in these attacks is the allegation that politicians “lie, loot, and abandon” the people once the election is over.
The Verdict of the Streets
Political analysts warn that these physical confrontations are a symptom of a total breakdown in trust. As one youth leader in Zamfara put it: “The people are done begging. If they won’t represent us in the chamber, they will feel us on the streets.”
