Benue State Police Command has said Peter Obi’s visit to the state was duly cleared.
Commissioner Cletus Nwadiogbu said the command was notified at 5:30 p.m. on Monday and immediately rolled out three escort vehicles led by an Assistant Commissioner of Police.
But on the road, a different script played out. A group surged forward and blocked Obi’s convoy, trapping vehicles in a tense standoff that threatened to spiral. Officers chose restraint over force to avoid casualties. Obi was later diverted and escorted safely back to the airport.
46 Nabbed In Intelligence Dragnet
The police said calm did not mean inaction.
“Restraint should not be mistaken for weakness,” Nwadiogbu stated. Once Obi left the state, undercover teams moved in.
The command launched intelligence-led operations to identify the organizers and their motives. The result: 46 arrests so far. “Key arrests have been made, while efforts are ongoing to apprehend all other persons connected with the incident,” the CP added.
He emphasized that the police remain neutral. With the 2027 elections approaching, he warned that roadblocks, thuggery, and intimidation will not be tolerated.
Nwadiogbu also noted Obi’s team had described the trip as non-campaign, with a small entourage. The CP said he was personally handling a separate blockade crisis in Taka and Guma when news of the Obi incident broke.
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Outrage And Demands For Justice
Reactions came fast and hard.
Atiku Abubakar, ADC presidential candidate, called the disruption “anti-democratic and deeply shameful” and demanded a probe. The APM campaign for Seyi Makinde described it as an attempt to intimidate opposition leaders ahead of 2027.
Minister Festus Keyamo condemned the blockage but also accused sections of the media of bias in reporting political violence. Former Benue governor Samuel Ortom and Senator Henry Dickson both demanded thorough investigations and prosecutions.
The police vowed: everyone culpable will face the law.
