Police Tear Gas Canister Hits APC Women Leader In Kogi Community, Leaves Severe Facial Injuries

Another resident added that Iwamofe had no confrontation with the officers before she was hit.

Residents of Iffe Ijumu in Ijumu Local Government Area of Kogi State are demanding urgent investigation after Miss Iyabo Iwamofe, a local shop owner and Women Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Iffe/Ikoyi Ward, sustained severe facial injuries in an alleged incident of police misconduct on Sunday, March 8, 2026.  

A video obtained by SaharaReporters shows Iwamofe in hospital with a large scar on her face, recounting how she was struck. 

“I sat in front of my shop when I suddenly saw a police van close to my shop. The next I saw was that they started firing and I fell,” she said.  

Eyewitnesses confirmed her account. 

Sade Obangbemi, who was nearby, recalled: “I was close to the vicinity to charge phone when those policemen suddenly came and started shooting. They shot Aunty Iyabo. We even thought she was dead, but we rushed her to the General Hospital. By the time she was accepted, it was around 8:30 p.m. at night.”

Another resident added that Iwamofe had no confrontation with the officers before she was hit.

“She did not have any issue or fight with the police,” the resident said. 

“She was in front of her shop when she suddenly fell due to the shot fired. I was close to the place with others and we were only relaxing being a Sunday.” 

In another video obtained by SaharaReporters, which captured the police invasion, gunshots could be heard followed by screams from members of the community.

However, Bayo Joshua, Chairman of the Iffe Development Union, Lokoja Branch, clarified that Iwamofe was struck by a tear gas canister fired by police officers. 

“On Sunday, 8th March 2026, Miss Iyabo Iwamofe, a respected member of the community and Women Leader of APC, Iffe/Ikoyi Ward, reportedly suffered serious facial injuries after a live tear gas canister was fired into her shop without provocation. The attack caused permanent damage and significant emotional trauma, according to community leaders,” Joshua said in statement. 

“The injury has not only caused permanent damage to her face but has also deprived her of many freedoms and created deep emotional trauma in her life,” he said.  

Joshua described the incident as a grave violation of citizens’ rights and noted that it was the second reported case of alleged harassment by officers from the Nigeria Police Divisional Headquarters, Ekinrin-Adde, since its inauguration on June 25, 2025.  

In a statement, the union urged the Kogi State Commissioner of Police to investigate the matter urgently and ensure accountability. 

The union demanded justice, compensation for Iwamofe, and measures to prevent similar incidents. 

“We therefore respectfully appeal to the Kogi State Commissioner of Police to urgently investigate this case of unprofessional handling of arms that has resulted in permanent physical damage to a promising and respected member of our community, Miss Iyabo Iwamofe, who also serves as the Women Leader of APC, Iffe/Ikoyi Ward,” Joshua said. 

He warned that failure to address the issue adequately may result in legal action against the Nigeria Police Force.

Community members stressed that Iffe Ijumu is a peaceful and law-abiding community, rejecting what they described as reckless use of force. They reaffirmed their commitment to monitoring the case closely to ensure justice is served.  

Meanwhile, a source in the community noted that the Chairman of Ijumu Local Government Area, Alhaji Haruna Ibrahim, has yet to issue a press release on the matter. 

The source also recalled that Ibrahim recently detained a 22-year-old resident, Ayomide Felix Abiodun, over a Facebook post.  

On March 11, SaharaReporters reported that Abiodun had been detained by the police for more than a month following an order allegedly issued by the council chairman, Ibrahim, over a Facebook post he did not author.

A source familiar with the matter told SaharaReporters that Abiodun, who manages a Facebook page known as Okun Voice, was arrested in connection with a post that criticised the leadership of the Ijumu Local Government Council.

According to the source, the post was originally written by another Facebook user who is currently on the run.

“The alleged original author of the post, whose Facebook name is Lod Mabayode Felix, is currently on the run,” the source said.

The Facebook post that led to Abiodun’s arrest accused the leadership of the Ijumu Local Government Council of alleged mismanagement and undemocratic practices.