CP Cletus Nwadiogbu Says Investigation Continues as Police Trail Youth Leaders Linked to Makurdi Blockade
The Benue State Police Command has paraded 46 suspects in connection with Tuesday’s blockade of the convoy of Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, along the Makurdi-Gboko federal highway.
Addressing journalists in Makurdi, the Commissioner of Police, Cletus Nwadiogbu, said investigations were ongoing, with the police also trailing key youth leaders allegedly linked to the incident.
Nwadiogbu warned that the command would not tolerate political intolerance or acts capable of disrupting the 2027 election process.
Obi’s convoy was blocked by angry youths while he was travelling from Makurdi to Yelewata to commiserate with victims of the June 2025 attacks in the community.
The blockade reportedly caused significant traffic congestion, with the youths chanting “Peter Obi go back.” Obi subsequently appealed to security agencies to intervene, describing the incident as unacceptable and urging authorities to ensure political candidates can move freely during campaigns.
Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, also condemned the incident, saying whether the protest resulted from internal disputes within the NDC or was sponsored by a rival political party, such actions should not be tolerated in a democracy.
Keyamo, however, criticised what he described as partisan media coverage of political confrontations, urging the press to apply the same standards when reporting incidents involving candidates of different political parties.
Benue Government Denies Involvement
The Benue State Government has denied allegations that it sponsored thugs to block Obi from accessing Yelewata.
In a statement by the Governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Tersoo Kula, the government described Obi’s allegation as unfounded and said it had no knowledge of 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.
The government maintained that Alia was 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.”