How ‘hired thugs’ obstructed my visit to Benue – Peter Obi
The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Peter Obi, has accused “hired thugs” of obstructing his visit to Yelwata, Benue State, where he had planned to meet families of victims of the June 2025 massacre.
Obi, in a statement posted on his X handle on Tuesday, said he arrived in Benue at about 9am for what he described as a purely humanitarian mission but was prevented from proceeding to the community.
He said the incident occurred a day after he attended the opening of the national campaign office of another opposition presidential candidate, Governor Seyi Makinde, in Abuja, as part of his commitment to political civility.
“As Governor of Anambra State, I made it a point during electioneering to welcome visiting opposition members personally, provided they acted within the ambit of the law,” he said in the statement titled “How Hired Thugs Obstructed My Visit to Benue State”.
“Guided by that same commitment to decency over partisanship, I travelled to Benue this morning, arriving at approximately 9:00 a.m. on a purely humanitarian mission: to visit the grieving families affected by the horrific killings in Yelwata, where over 270 people were massacred.
“Regrettably, our convoy was prevented from proceeding to the community by thugs chanting, ‘Peter Obi, go back.’ It was deeply distressing to witness such hostility.
“I came to Benue not for partisan politics, but to mourn with our people, to listen to families who have lost loved ones, and to offer comfort at a moment of unimaginable sorrow,” Obi added.
He described the incident as alarming, saying the people of Benue and other Nigerians deserved to live, travel and cultivate their land without fear.
