The Benue State Police Command has punctured a key element of the state government’s response to the blockade of Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate Peter Obi’s convoy, confirming that the former Anambra State governor’s visit was known to the police and that officers were officially deployed to provide him security.
Commissioner of Police Cletus Nwadiogbu confirmed on Tuesday that the command provided security for Obi’s planned movement to Yelwata in Guma Local Government Area, where he intended to commiserate with victims of the June 13, 2025 massacre.
The police account contrasts sharply with suggestions by Governor Hyacinth Alia’s Chief Press Secretary, Tersoo Kula, who had questioned why relevant security authorities were allegedly not formally informed about Obi’s movement.
Kula had argued that a visit involving a presidential candidate would ordinarily require coordination with the Commissioner of Police and other security agencies.
But Nwadiogbu disclosed that the police were not only aware of the visit but had been informed of its purpose and assigned senior officers to provide security.
According to the commissioner, the command understood that Obi was not visiting Benue for political campaigning but to sympathise with victims of the Yelwata killings.
“Everybody has freedom of movement in Nigeria, so I provided security. I also directed the Assistant Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations to personally lead the men,” Nwadiogbu said.
His account also confirmed that Obi’s convoy was indeed blocked, amid questions raised by the governor’s spokesman about the circumstances surrounding the NDC candidate’s visit.
“Unfortunately, upon his arrival, we heard that the youths blocked the road and said they did not want to see him,” the police commissioner said.
Nwadiogbu said the command managed the immediate situation but had opened an investigation to establish why the youths prevented Obi from proceeding to Yelwata.
“We must get to the bottom of it and know why the youths said somebody cannot move freely,” he said.
The police are also investigating possible destruction associated with the incident, with Nwadiogbu promising to make the findings available when investigations are concluded.
The clarification adds a new dimension to the controversy surrounding Tuesday’s incident.
Obi’s media aide, Esther Umoh, had earlier alleged that suspected sponsored thugs blocked Boko Road near the Air Force Base to stop the presidential candidate from reaching his destination. Videos circulated from the scene showed individuals around the convoy, including some running after vehicles.
The identity and political affiliation, if any, of those involved have not been established.
The Alia administration denied involvement, with Kula suggesting that Obi might be attempting to drag the governor into an internal NDC political problem. He also questioned whether Obi had actually visited Makurdi and accused him of antecedents of making claims about Benue that the government considered untrue.
The police confirmation, however, establishes two significant facts disputed or questioned in the political exchanges: the command knew about Obi’s visit and provided him official security, and his convoy encountered a road blockade that prevented him from proceeding to Yelwata.
It does not, however, establish Obi’s camp’s allegation that the youths were sponsored or connect them to the Alia administration. That question is now part of the investigation.
Obi subsequently left Benue without completing the planned visit to Yelwata, where more than 200 people were reported killed in the June 2025 attack. GWG.END
