Presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Peter Obi, has accused suspected hired thugs of obstructing his visit to Yelwata in Benue State, where he intended to meet families of victims of the June 2025 massacre.

Obi said he arrived in Benue at about 9am on Tuesday for what he described as a purely humanitarian mission but was prevented from proceeding to the community.

He said his convoy was stopped by youths chanting “Peter Obi, go back”, describing the incident as deeply distressing.

Obi said he travelled to Yelwata to mourn with families who lost loved ones and offer support, rather than for partisan political activities.

He said the incident was alarming and maintained that the government’s primary responsibility should be the protection of human lives above political considerations.

Obi also said he had been unable to reach the community but remained committed to supporting the victims and their families.

The Benue State Government, however, said it was unaware of Obi’s visit. The governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Kula Tersoo, said the government did not know Obi was coming to the state and questioned the absence of adequate security arrangements around the former Anambra governor.

The NDC governorship candidate in Benue, Prof. Terhemba Shija, disputed the government’s position, saying security agencies had been informed about Obi’s visit and had deployed personnel to accompany him.

The Benue State Police Command also confirmed that it was aware of Obi’s movement to Yelwata and that police operatives provided security for the convoy.

The police spokesperson, DSP Peter Aondongu, said the reason the convoy was blocked remained unknown, adding that the command was monitoring the situation and investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident.