MAKURDI — The Benue State Police Command has arrested and paraded 46 suspects in connection with the Tuesday obstruction and mob attack on the convoy of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, along the Gboko–Makurdi Expressway.
Briefing journalists at the Command Headquarters in Makurdi on Wednesday, September 9, 2026, Benue State Commissioner of Police, Cletus Nwadiogbu, confirmed that police tactical units carried out overnight operations following the civil disturbance, apprehending dozens of individuals suspected of orchestrating the roadblock and engaging in violence.
The police command revealed that at least ten youths sustained injuries during the Tuesday confrontation and are currently receiving medical treatment under police guard at the Benue State University Teaching Hospital (BSUTH) in Makurdi.
Political Recriminations & Official Denials
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Police Investigation: Commissioner Nwadiogbu confirmed that the command had advance notice of Obi’s humanitarian itinerary to Yelwata in Guma Local Government Area and had deployed senior officers to lead his security detail. He stated that interrogations are underway to identify the political sponsors who mobilized the mob to restrict the movement of a citizen and presidential aspirant.
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NDC Allegations: The Nigeria Democratic Congress leadership and Obi’s campaign media team accused local political figures—specifically pointing to aides linked to the state administration—of organizing stick-wielding youths to bar Obi from delivering relief materials to victims of communal violence in Yelwata.
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Benue State Government Rejection: Rejecting the claims, the Benue State Government, through the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Hyacinth Alia, Tersoo Kula, denied any state involvement or deployment of political thugs. The administration described the accusations as unfounded attempt to drag the state executive into internal opposition politics.
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APC Response: The Benue State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) similarly distanced the party from the confrontation, asserting that the party operates within democratic norms and does not engage in political thuggery or roadway blockades.
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Widespread Condemnation: National political figures across party lines—including former Kano State Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, Omoyele Sowore, and senior civil society groups—have issued statements condemning the attack as a dangerous threat to free movement and electoral tolerance ahead of 2027.
