The Benue State Government has challenged the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, to identify the government aide he alleged was responsible for the obstruction of his convoy during his attempted visit to Yelewata.
The challenge was issued by Governor Hyacinth Alia’s Chief Press Secretary, Tersoo Kula, who also called on Obi and his party to provide evidence linking the alleged aide to the incident.
Obi’s convoy was reportedly blocked by youths along the Makurdi-Gboko Road on Tuesday while he was travelling to Yelewata to sympathise with families affected by the 2025 attacks in the community. The Benue State Government has denied involvement in the incident.
Speaking on The Morning Show on Arise TV on Wednesday, Kula said the state government was unaware of the incident until images and reports of the blockade emerged online.
He said the government was prepared to allow the police investigate the allegation and prosecute anyone found to have been responsible.
Kula said, “I challenged them that they should name that aide. They mentioned a particular aide, and we said they should go ahead and mention him. If there’s any evidence, the police commissioner should ensure that the person who directed this is arrested and brought to book.”
The government spokesman maintained that Governor Alia had no reason to prevent Obi from visiting Benue and said the administration did not use thugs as instruments of governance or security.
The issue of prior notification has also generated conflicting accounts. While the state government said it was not informed of Obi’s visit, the Benue State Police Command confirmed that it knew about the movement and that officers had been deployed to provide security for the trip. The police said the reason the youths blocked the convoy remained under investigation.
On the security situation in Benue, Kula acknowledged the challenges facing the state but said the situation was not peculiar to Benue.
He said the Alia administration was working to reduce insecurity and described the current situation as one of “relative peace” compared with previous conditions.
Kula added that the government remained concerned about insecurity and was committed to ensuring greater safety for residents across the state.
