The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) had notified the Benue State Police Command ahead of the visit of its presidential candidate, Peter Obi, to the state, according to a letter acknowledged by the police.
Obi’s visit on Tuesday, September 8, was disrupted after suspected political thugs reportedly blocked his convoy along Boko Road, near the Air Force Base, preventing him from proceeding to his planned destination.
The incident subsequently triggered accusations that the Benue State Government may have been involved in the disruption or failed to provide adequate security for the opposition candidate.
The state government, however, said it was unaware of Obi’s visit and argued that no security arrangements had been made because the relevant authorities had not been notified.
Tersoo Kula, spokesperson for Governor Hyacinth Alia, said a visit by a presidential candidate should ordinarily be communicated to the appropriate security agencies in advance to enable them to make adequate security arrangements.
However, a letter shared by Obi’s spokesperson, Valentine Obienyem, on Facebook appears to show that the state Commissioner of Police was formally notified before the visit.
The letter, dated September 7, 2026, was signed by the NDC Chairman in Benue State, Ohini Ojegbe, and acknowledged by the police on the same day by an officer identified as Daniel Tarwa, a Superintendent of Police.
In the letter, Ojegbe informed the police that Obi would arrive in Makurdi at about 8am on September 8 before proceeding to Yelwata to meet relatives and representatives of communities affected by the 2025 massacre.
“I respectfully write to notify your office that the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, His Excellency Peter Obi, will be coming to Benue State on Tuesday, 8th September 2026,” the letter stated.
The NDC chairman also informed the police that Obi intended to visit a memorial site to pay his respects to victims and lay a wreath in their honour.
“The visit will be very brief as the Presidential Candidate and his entourage will leave Yelwata and Benue State immediately after the visit, before noon,” he added.
Ojegbe subsequently requested security protection for Obi and members of his entourage.
“We request you to kindly provide security cover for him and his entourage,” he wrote.
Following the controversy over the disruption, Tarwa reportedly confirmed that the police had received the notification and provided security cover for Obi during his movement.
The development appears to conflict with the earlier suggestion by the Benue State Government that the relevant security agencies had not been informed about the visit.
However, the letter was addressed specifically to the Commissioner of Police, and the available account does not establish whether Governor Alia or other state government officials were separately notified about Obi’s planned visit.
Obi was eventually escorted back to the airport by security personnel and departed the state after the disruption.
The Benue State Police Command has since announced arrests in connection with the incident and said efforts were ongoing to identify and apprehend other persons involved.
The Commissioner of Police, Cletus Nwadiogbu, said the command acted professionally to prevent the situation from escalating into violence, stressing that every Nigerian has the right to freedom of movement regardless of political affiliation.
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