The police in Benue State have arrested 46 suspects in connection with Tuesday’s alleged attack on the convoy of the presidential candidate of the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, along the Makurdi-Gboko Federal Highway.
The Commissioner of Police, Cletus Nwadiogbu, disclosed this while addressing journalists in Makurdi, saying investigations into the incident were ongoing.
Nwadiogbu said the police were also tracking some key youth leaders allegedly linked to the incident, warning that the command would not tolerate political intolerance or violence as the 2027 general elections approach.
The incident occurred during Obi’s visit to Benue State for his political campaign ahead of the 2027 presidential election and a planned visit to Yelewata, where he was scheduled to meet and commiserate with victims of the June 2025 attacks.
Obi’s convoy reportedly encountered a roadblock mounted by youths a few metres from the airport along the two-lane Makurdi-Gboko Federal Highway.
The blockade caused significant traffic disruption as the youths occupied the road, preventing motorists from passing through.
Reacting to the incident, Obi appealed to young Nigerians not to allow themselves to be used as instruments by political interests.
“It is ridiculous. Our experience this morning is very, very worrisome. We arrived Makurdi at 9am, 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 chose not to force his way through the blockade in order to prevent further tension and protect other road users.
He appealed to the Inspector-General of Police and other security agencies to intervene and ensure that political actors could move freely across the country.
“We cannot go on this way. This is unacceptable,” he said.
Keyamo Condemns Blockade
The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, also condemned the incident, saying Obi’s prevention from reaching his destination should not be tolerated in a democracy.
Keyamo said it was irrelevant whether the incident resulted from internal disputes within the NDC, as suggested by the Benue State Government, or was allegedly sponsored by another political party.
“Whether the protest was as a result of internal squabbles within the NDC (as posited by the Benue State Government) or sponsored by the APC or any other rival party, this should not be part of our democracy,” he said in a post on his official X account.
He also rejected the argument that Obi’s planned visit to Yelewata was politically motivated, saying such concerns did not justify preventing any political candidate from moving freely.
Keyamo, however, criticised what he described as partisan reporting of political confrontations, alleging that similar incidents involving candidates of different political parties were often portrayed differently depending on the party involved.
He urged the media to maintain impartiality in reporting political incidents and called on Nigerians to express their political preferences through the ballot rather than violence.
“Whoever is angry at any candidate of any political party should display the anger with the ballot paper on voting day by a simple thumbprint, not by violent acts during campaigns,” he said.
Benue Government Denies Involvement
The Benue State Government has denied allegations that individuals acting on its behalf blocked Obi from accessing Yelewata.
In a statement issued by the Governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Tersoo Kula, the government described the allegation as unfounded and denied any involvement in the incident.
Kula said the allegation appeared to be an attempt to drag Governor Hyacinth Alia and the state government into what could be an 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 state government also questioned whether Obi visited Makurdi on Tuesday, citing what it described as previous instances in which the former Anambra governor had made inaccurate claims about the state.
It maintained that Obi was not a threat to Governor Alia and said that, even if any security concerns existed, only recognised security agencies had the mandate to address them.
The government reiterated that Governor Alia remained committed to peace and the rule of law, insisting that his administration does not “engage, patronize, or deploy thugs as instruments of governance or security.”
