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The Benue State Government has denied allegations by the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate Peter Obi that thugs linked to the state government prevented him from visiting Yelwata to commiserate with families affected by the 2025 attacks.
The government described the allegation as unfounded and an attempt to drag Governor Hyacinth Alia and the state into what it suggested could be an internal political dispute within the NDC.
The governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Tersoo Kula, rejected the allegation in a statement on Tuesday.
“We wish to emphatically deny that the government of Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia has an idea of what Mr Obi is talking about,” he said.
Obi, in a now-deleted post, accused suspected thugs of blocking his convoy and preventing him from entering Yelwata, where he intended to meet families affected by the killings.
Reports alleged that the group was led by an aide to Benue State Governor Hyacinth Alia and was armed with dangerous weapons
However, the Benue government questioned Obi’s account, saying it was unclear whether he had visited Makurdi, the state capital.
Kula also challenged the circumstances surrounding Obi’s visit, saying a presidential candidate would ordinarily have his movement coordinated with relevant security agencies.
“It is therefore curious that an individual presenting himself as a presidential candidate could arrive in a state without the relevant security authorities being formally informed of his movement,” he said.
According to him, such a visit would ordinarily involve security coordination with the Commissioner of Police and other relevant agencies.
The government maintained that Governor Alia was opposed to thuggery and relied on recognised security agencies to maintain peace and order in the state.
“Governor Alia is a peace-loving Reverend gentleman. He is averse to the promotion of thuggery. In fact, his administration does not engage, patronize, or deploy thugs as instruments of governance or security,” Kula said.
The government also suggested that Obi’s allegations could stem from disagreements within the NDC’s Benue structure, urging him to resolve any such issues within the party.
“If Mr. Obi is confronted with disagreements or internal political challenges within his party structure in Benue State, those issues should be resolved within the party rather than being conveniently transferred to the State Government,” Kula said.
The government urged the public to disregard allegations linking it to the incident involving Obi and said Benue remained open to political actors and other Nigerians visiting the state peacefully.
It said the Alia administration remained focused on governance, security and the welfare of residents.
MR. PETER OBI MUST STOP LIES AGAINST GOVERNOR ALIA AND BENUE STATE GOVERNMENT.
Tuesday, September 8, 2026
The Benue State Government has rejected, in the strongest terms, claims by the candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr. @PeterObi that he was blocked by… pic.twitter.com/h0MUov5I47
— Benue State Government (@benuestategovt) September 8, 2026
