The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) notified the Benue State Commissioner of Police ahead of the scheduled visit of its presidential candidate, Peter Obi, according to a letter acknowledged by the police.
Obi’s visit to Benue on Tuesday, September 8, was disrupted after suspected political thugs reportedly blocked his convoy from gaining access to the state.
Following the incident, some Nigerians accused the Benue State Government of sponsoring the disruption and obstructing Obi’s visit. The state government, however, suggested that it had not provided protection because it was unaware that the NDC presidential candidate was coming. Kula Tersoo, spokesperson for Benue State Governor Hyacinth Alia, said neither the governor nor the state government had been informed about Obi’s visit and that no security arrangements had been made ahead of his reported movement.
Tersoo argued that a visit by a presidential candidate should ordinarily be communicated to the relevant security agencies to allow adequate protection. However, a letter subsequently shared on social media indicated that the Benue State Commissioner of Police had been notified before the visit. Obi’s spokesperson, Valentine Obienyem, uploaded the letter to his Facebook page on Tuesday.
The letter, dated September 7, 2026, was signed by the NDC Chairman in Benue State, Ohini Ojegbe. It was acknowledged by the police on the same day and signed by an officer identified as Daniel Tarwa. Tarwa, a superintendent of police, subsequently confirmed that the police received the NDC’s letter and provided security cover for Obi.
“I respectfully write to notify your office that the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, His Excellency Peter Obi, will be coming to Benue State on Tuesday, 8th September 2026. He is scheduled to arrive in Makurdi at about 8 a.m. and will immediately proceed from the Airport to Yelwata, to meet with family members and representatives of the community affected by the 2025 massacre,” Ojegbe stated in the letter.
The NDC chairman also informed the police that Obi planned to visit a memorial site to pay his respects to victims and lay a wreath in their honour. “The visit will be very brief as the Presidential Candidate and his entourage will leave Yelwata and Benue State immediately after the visit, before noon.
“We request you to kindly provide security cover for him and his entourage,” Ojegbe added. The police confirmation that it received the notification conflicts with the Benue State Government’s earlier suggestion that relevant security agencies had not been informed about Obi’s visit.
However, the letter was addressed to the Commissioner of Police, and the report did not establish that the governor or other Benue State Government officials separately received advance notice of the visit.
