The Benue State Government has denied allegations by the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, that government-sponsored thugs blocked his convoy from accessing Yelwata community on Tuesday.
Obi had alleged that his convoy encountered “thugs” who mounted a roadblock on the Makurdi-Gboko federal highway while he was travelling to Yelwata to sympathise with families affected by the 2025 attacks.
However, the state government, in a statement issued by the Governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Tersoo Kula, dismissed the allegation as unfounded and denied any involvement in the incident.
The government accused Obi of attempting to drag Governor Hyacinth Alia and the state administration into what it described as a possible internal political dispute within the NDC.
“We wish to emphatically deny that the government of Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia has an idea of what Mr. Obi is talking about,” Kula said.
The statement also questioned the circumstances of Obi’s visit to Makurdi, citing what it described as his history of making unsubstantiated claims against the state government.
According to the government, Obi was not a threat to Governor Alia and, even if there had been any security concern, such a situation would have been handled by recognised security agencies rather than thugs.
The state government said Governor Alia remained committed to peace and the rule of law, stressing that his administration does not “engage, patronize, or deploy thugs as instruments of governance or security.”
It added that the governor relies on recognised security agencies to maintain law and order across the state.
The government also questioned whether relevant authorities were formally notified ahead of Obi’s visit, arguing that a presidential candidate’s movement within the state would ordinarily require security coordination with the Commissioner of Police and other agencies.
“If Mr. Obi is confronted with disagreements or internal political challenges within his party structure in Benue State, those issues should be resolved within the party rather than being conveniently transferred to the State Government,” the statement said.
The Alia administration said it would not be distracted by what it described as attempts to manufacture political controversies, adding that its priorities remained good governance, security and the welfare of Benue residents.
It therefore urged members of the public to disregard allegations linking the state government to the incident.
Earlier, Obi had called for a violence-free campaign ahead of the 2027 general elections and urged Nigerian youths not to allow themselves to be used as instruments by political elites.
Addressing journalists in Makurdi after the incident, Obi said his convoy was blocked by youths while he was heading to Yelwata to sympathise with families affected by the killings.
“It is ridiculous. Our experience this morning is very, very worrisome. We arrived Makurdi at 9 AM, but on our way to the Yelewata community, to console and show solidarity with the family affected by the killings of over 270 persons in that community, and support them in any way I can, only to be blocked by thugs shouting, ‘Peter Obi go back! Peter Obi go back!’” he said.
Obi said he declined to force his way through the blockade to avoid creating confusion or putting other lives at risk.
He appealed to the Inspector-General of Police and other security agencies to intervene, warning that “this rascality cannot be allowed.”
“We cannot go on this way. This is unacceptable,” Obi said.
The latest incident comes after a similar dispute last year, when the Benue State Government reportedly barred Obi from visiting internally displaced persons in the state without express approval.
