Peter Obi: Benue Govt Denies Knowledge of Visit, Police Confirm Notification

 

By Abdullahi Musa 

The Benue State Government has said it was not aware of the visit of the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Peter Obi, to the state on Tuesday.

The government’s position followed an incident in which Obi’s convoy was reportedly stopped by some youths while he was travelling to Yelewata to visit families affected by the June 2025 massacre.

The Chief Press Secretary to the Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia, Kula Tersoo, stated this in a telephone interview on Tuesday.

Tersoo said if security agencies had stopped Obi’s convoy, the state government would have been able to establish what happened.

“We are not aware of his coming to the state, and if it were to be security agents that stopped him, it would have been easy for us to find out what happened,” he said.

He added that as a former governor and presidential candidate, Obi was entitled to adequate security protection.

Tersoo said, “As presidential candidate of a party and former governor, he is a property of the Federal Government and ought to have been given security.”

The governor’s aide also denied that the youths who stopped Obi’s convoy were acting on behalf of the state government.

“We were surprised that youth would stop someone. Youth cannot do anything on behalf of government. Our government doesn’t patronise thugs,” he said.

He further said Obi was not considered a threat to Governor Alia, stressing that the government had no prior knowledge of his arrival.

However, the governorship candidate of the NDC in Benue State, Prof. Terhemba Shija, said Obi’s visit had been communicated to security agencies in the state.

Shija said Obi was travelling to Yelewata to meet families of victims of the June 2025 killings and that the police and Department of State Services had been duly informed.

He questioned why Obi would need the state government’s permission to visit Benue, arguing that the Independent National Electoral Commission had lifted the ban on political campaigns.

Shija described the incident as “a demonstration of fear” and accused those behind the blockade of attempting to frustrate Obi’s political activities.

Meanwhile, the Benue State Police Command confirmed that it was aware of Obi’s movement and had provided security for his convoy.

The command’s spokesperson, DSP Peter Aondongu, said the reason some youths blocked the convoy remained unknown.

“The police are aware of the incident involving Peter Obi’s movement to Yelwata. Police operatives provided security for the movement.

“The reason the convoy was blocked by some youths is still unknown. We are monitoring the situation and investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident,” Aondongu said.

Obi was reportedly prevented from proceeding along Gboko Road in Makurdi after youths barricaded the route.

He was later said to have returned to Plateau State.