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MAKURDI, Nigeria (September 8, 2026) — Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), said his convoy was blocked by suspected thugs in Benue State on Tuesday as he attempted to visit survivors of the Yelwata massacre, an allegation the Benue State Government has firmly denied.

The incident occurred along Boko Road, near the Air Force Base in Makurdi, shortly after Obi arrived in the state. According to Esther Umoh, Obi’s media aide, armed individuals blocked the route and prevented his entourage from proceeding to Yelwata, where he had planned to console families affected by attacks last year. Umoh disclosed the incident in videos posted to her X account, saying the road had been blocked by thugs she described as sponsored.

Footage circulating from the scene showed individuals running toward vehicles in the convoy and stones being thrown in its direction. Separate video appeared to show officers of the Benue State Police Command greeting and shaking hands with members of the group blocking the road, prompting questions online about whether security personnel enabled the obstruction rather than clearing the way for the convoy.

Obi’s campaign said the roadblock had been arranged by the state government and ruling party operatives to stop him from bearing witness to the scale of violence in Benue communities. He has spent recent months criticizing the federal government’s handling of insecurity in Benue, Plateau, and Niger states, and has called for stronger action against killings and displacement in Nigeria’s North-Central region.

The Benue State Government rejected the allegation later Tuesday. In a statement, Tersoo Kula, Chief Press Secretary to Governor Hyacinth Alia, called the claims unfounded and said the administration does not deploy or sponsor thugs for governance or security purposes. The statement described the episode as a distraction from what it called an internal political dispute within the NDC and urged Obi to resolve any such disagreement through his party’s structures rather than attributing it to the state government.

The statement also questioned why a presidential candidate would arrive in the state without formally notifying security authorities of his movements, and characterized Governor Alia as a pastor committed to the rule of law who relies on recognized security agencies to maintain order. It said Benue remains open to political actors and visitors who come in peace, and that the administration’s focus remains on governance, security, and the welfare of residents.

The Benue State Police Command has not issued a separate statement addressing the footage showing officers interacting with the group that blocked the road.

The dispute comes as Obi steps up outreach to communities affected by violence ahead of the 2027 general elections, with insecurity a central theme of his campaign. His supporters have argued the blockade, whatever its origin, only underscores the security concerns he has been raising, while critics of the visit’s timing have suggested it coincides with the start of active campaigning.

As of press time, neither side had produced independent verification of its account, and no formal investigation had been announced.