The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has strongly condemned the obstruction of the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, who was allegedly blocked by sponsored thugs while attempting to access security-threatened communities in Benue State.
The confrontation occurred at approximately 9:00 AM on Tuesday, September 8, 2026, along the Makurdi-Gboko federal highway near the Nigerian Air Force Base in Makurdi, the Benue State capital.
Obi’s convoy was en route to the Yelwata community to pay a condolence visit and extend solidarity to families affected by the violent attacks that resulted in over 270 deaths in 2025.
According to eye-witness accounts and statement confirmations from the NDC leadership, a mob armed with dangerous weapons mounted roadblocks along the two-lane highway, chanting hostile slogans and physically chasing the former Anambra governor’s entourage away.
In a statement issued in Abuja, the National Coordinator of HURIWA, Comrade Emmanuel Nnadozie Onwubiko, described the blockade as “lawless, reckless, and provocative,” questioning how a mob could paralyze a federal highway while police forces failed to guarantee free movement.
“The mob that stopped Peter Obi failed to stop terrorists killing innocent Benue people,” Onwubiko noted, while accusing elements connected to the state administration of allowing the lawlessness to brew.
Speaking to reporters shortly after turning his convoy back to prevent escalations, Obi expressed deep concern over the nation’s political climate.
“We arrived in Makurdi at 9:00 AM to visit victims in Yelwata, only to be blocked by thugs shouting, ‘Peter Obi go back!’ This rascality cannot be allowed. I call on the Inspector-General of Police and security agencies to intervene and call various governors to order,” Obi stated.
The National Publicity Secretary of the NDC, Osa Director, and the party’s Benue governorship candidate, Terhemba Shija, condemned the incident as a state-sponsored attempt to stifle political opposition and intimidate public figures showing solidarity with grieving citizens.
Denying all involvement, the Chief Press Secretary to the Benue State Governor, Sir Tersoo Kula, issued a statement refuting claims that Governor Hyacinth Alia’s administration had any hand in the incident.
Kula characterized the accusations as unfounded, suggesting the incident was either a fabricated political stunt or linked to internal political squabbles.
The clash marks the second time Peter Obi’s humanitarian and condolence trips to Benue State have faced state-level resistance, following a similar denial of access to Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps in April 2025.
Rights groups continue to urge security agencies to thoroughly investigate the perpetrators behind the highway blockade.
