Edo-based activist, Precious Oruche, popularly known as “Mama Pee,” has been arrested by the police after a dramatic faceoff with the factional National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP), Julius Abure, at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja.
The confrontation, which quickly went viral on social media, has triggered debates among Nigerians, with many divided over whether Mama Pee was exercising her right to free expression or crossing into harassment.
The airport showdown
Witnesses at the scene said the activist approached Abure while he was preparing to board a Max Air flight to Benin.
She accused him of worsening Nigerians’ struggles and fuelling the leadership crisis rocking the Labour Party.
“You are the reason Nigerians are suffering. You have hijacked the Labour Party,” she was heard shouting in one of the viral clips.
Alleged assault in Benin
The matter did not end in Abuja. On arrival at the Benin Airport, the altercation reportedly intensified as Mama Pee claimed she was physically attacked by individuals suspected to be loyalists of Abure.
In a separate video she posted online, the activist alleged that thugs attempted to beat her up after she confronted the Labour leader.
“They brought thugs to intimidate me because I told Julius Abure the truth. This is political harassment,” she insisted.
Calls for release
Another activist, Peter Akah, widely known as “Peter for Nigeria,” condemned her detention. In a video appeal, he urged Edo State Governor Monday Okpebolo and the State Commissioner of Police, Monday Agbonika, to intervene immediately.
“Mama Pee is not a criminal; she is a victim of political violence. Instead of protecting her, the system is punishing her,” Akah said.
Labour Party responds
However, the Abure-led Labour Party has pushed back, accusing the activist of orchestrating a public ambush against its chairman.
In a statement signed by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, the LP described the incident as a deliberate attempt to humiliate Abure in public.
“The national chairman was openly harassed at two airports in one day. Security agents had to step in to ensure his safety. This was not activism, it was provocation,” the statement read.
The party further alleged that Mama Pee bragged about her political connections and threatened to continue targeting Abure and other LP executives.
It has since called on the Inspector-General of Police to open a thorough investigation into what it termed “political provocation and cyberbullying.”
Police silent
As of the time of filing this report, efforts to reach Edo State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Moses Yamu, were unsuccessful.
The development continues to trend online, with Nigerians expressing sharp opinions on the growing tensions within the Labour Party and the treatment of outspoken activists in the country.