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MAKURDI, Nigeria (September 10, 2026) — The Benue State Police Command has arrested 46 people in connection with Tuesday’s obstruction of presidential candidate Peter Obi’s convoy, and confirmed it received advance notice of his visit — an account that lines up with a letter the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) says it submitted to police a day before the visit, and that further undercuts the state government’s earlier suggestion that Obi’s team bypassed protocol.

Commissioner of Police Cletus Nwadiogbu disclosed the arrests at a press conference in Makurdi on Wednesday, saying they followed intelligence-led operations launched immediately after the incident. Nwadiogbu said the command was informed of Obi’s visit at about 5:30 p.m. on Monday, September 7 — roughly the same timeframe reflected in a notification letter previously released by NDC Benue State Chairman Ohini Ojegbe, which bore a police “RECEIVED” stamp dated September 7. He said the command subsequently deployed what he described as adequate security, including three police escort vehicles and personnel led by an assistant commissioner of police.

The confirmation directly contradicts the position taken a day earlier by the Benue State Government, which had questioned why a presidential candidate would arrive in the state without security authorities being formally notified of his movements — a framing that implied no such notice existed. Police accounts now on record indicate otherwise: that the command was notified in advance and had deployed a security detail for Obi’s movement through the state.

Nwadiogbu said Obi’s movement was nonetheless obstructed by a group of people, creating what he called a tense situation that risked degenerating into violence. He said police made “a professional and tactical decision to avoid an escalation that could have resulted in loss of lives and destruction of property,” and that officers ensured Obi’s safety by escorting him back to the airport, from which he departed the state.

“Let me state clearly that the tactical decision taken by the police should not be mistaken for inaction,” Nwadiogbu said, adding that the command immediately began intelligence-led operations to identify those responsible. He said 46 people have been arrested so far, with efforts ongoing to apprehend others connected to the incident.

The arrests mark the first concrete law enforcement response to Tuesday’s blockade, after video from the scene showed armed men with sticks and other weapons obstructing the road and, in some footage, appearing to approach Obi’s convoy, as well as separate footage that appeared to show police officers greeting members of the group rather than dispersing them. Nwadiogbu did not directly address that footage at Wednesday’s press conference.

The commissioner reaffirmed what he described as the command’s neutrality, saying it “remains a neutral and professional institution” and that “every Nigerian has the right to freedom of movement, irrespective of political affiliation, status or personal belief.” He warned that no individual or group has the right to unlawfully obstruct another person’s movement, and said all those found culpable would be dealt with according to the law. He urged residents to remain calm while the investigation continues.

The Benue State Government has not yet commented on the discrepancy between its earlier account and the police commissioner’s confirmation that the command was notified of Obi’s visit in advance.

This is a developing story.