Muhammed Abubakar, Reporting
THE Benue State Police Command has arrested and paraded 46 suspects in connection with the alleged attack on the convoy of the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, in Makurdi.
The incident occurred on Tuesday, September 8, 2026, when Obi was visiting Benue State as part of his political campaign ahead of the 2027 presidential election. He was also scheduled to visit Yelewata to meet and commiserate with victims of the June 2025 attacks in the community.
The suspects were paraded by the police in Makurdi following the blockade of Obi’s convoy by youths along the Makurdi-Gboko federal highway.
The Commissioner of Police in Benue State, Cletus Nwadiogbu, said investigations into the incident were ongoing, adding that key leaders allegedly involved in the incident were being trailed.
Nwadiogbu warned that the police would not tolerate acts of political intolerance as the 2027 general election approaches.
Trouble reportedly began a few metres from the airport when Obi’s convoy encountered a roadblock mounted by youths on the two-lane federal highway. The blockade reportedly resulted in traffic congestion, with the road temporarily closed to other road users.
Reacting to the incident, Obi appealed to Nigerian youths not to allow themselves to be used as instruments by politicians.
He described the development as “very worrisome”, saying his convoy had been blocked while travelling to Yelewata to show solidarity with families affected by the killings in the community.
Obi said he decided to remain calm and avoid escalating the situation, stressing that political candidates should be allowed to move freely and campaign without being subjected to intimidation.
He also called on security agencies, including the Inspector-General of Police, to intervene and ensure that political activities were conducted peacefully.
Meanwhile, Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, condemned the prevention of Obi from proceeding to the venue of his visit, saying such incidents had no place in a democracy.
Keyamo, in a statement shared on his official X account, said it was unacceptable for any political candidate to be prevented from moving freely, regardless of the political circumstances surrounding the incident.
He, however, called for fairness in the way the media reported confrontations involving political candidates, arguing that incidents involving opposition politicians were sometimes described differently from similar incidents involving members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Keyamo urged the media to avoid partisan reporting and called on politicians to channel their grievances through the ballot box rather than violent confrontation.
Benue Government Denies Involvement
The Benue State Government has denied any involvement in the blockade of Obi’s convoy.
In a statement issued by the Governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Tersoo Kula, the government described Obi’s allegation that thugs working for the state government were responsible for the incident as unfounded.
The government said it had no knowledge of what Obi was referring to and suggested that the incident could be linked to an internal political matter within the NDC.
It also maintained that Obi was not a threat to Governor Hyacinth Alia and that, if any genuine security concern existed, recognised security agencies would be responsible for addressing it rather than political thugs.
The state government insisted that Governor Alia remained committed to peace and the rule of law and does not “engage, patronise, or deploy thugs as instruments of governance or security”.
Police investigations into the incident are continuing, with the authorities expected to establish the circumstances surrounding the blockade and determine the roles allegedly played by those arrested.
