Benue govt dismisses Peter Obi's claim of thugs blocking his visit to Yelewata

Benue govt dismisses Peter Obi's claim of thugs blocking his visit to Yelewata The Benue State Government has denied allegations by the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, that thugs allegedly linked to the state government prevented him from visiting Yelewata to sympathise with families affected by the 2025 attacks. The government described the allegation as unfounded, saying Governor Hyacinth Alia had no knowledge of any attempt to obstruct Obi's movement in the state. The denial was contained in a statement issued by the governor's Chief Press Secretary, Tersoo Kula, on Tuesday. According to the statement, the allegation appeared to be an attempt to link the state government to what it described as an internal political dispute within the NDC. 'The government of Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia has no idea of what Mr Obi is talking about,' Kula said. The government also questioned whether Obi actually visited Makurdi, the state capital, accusing him of previously making what it described as untrue claims about the state. It said Alia was not threatened by Obi's presence in the state and maintained that any genuine security concern involving a presidential candidate would be handled by recognised security agencies rather than political thugs. The government further described Alia as a 'peace-loving Reverend gentleman' who, it said, does not support the use of thuggery in governance or security.