Benue: Over 10 youths hospitalised after attack on Obi’s convoy

More than 10 youths were taken to the Benue State University Teaching Hospital (BSUTH), Makurdi, for treatment following Tuesday’s confrontation involving the convoy of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate, Peter Obi.

Obi was travelling from Makurdi to Yelwata in Guma Local Government Area when his convoy was reportedly attacked along the Gboko-Makurdi Expressway.

The former Anambra State governor was scheduled to visit Yelwata to commiserate with residents affected by the June 13, 2025 terrorist attack in the community.

The incident reportedly disrupted the journey, with Obi later accusing the Special Assistant to Governor Hyacinth Alia on Youths of mobilising youths to block his convoy.

A BSUTH official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed on Wednesday that more than 10 injured persons were brought to the hospital following the incident.

“Over 10 wounded victims were brought in here yesterday for urgent medical attention. They are being treated. I don’t know where they came from. We don’t know whether they were involved in Peter Obi’s incident yesterday or not,” the official said.

“What we know is that they are accident victims and they are being treated. They are responding to treatment and none of them died.”

The official’s account could not establish whether the injured persons were directly connected to the reported attack on Obi’s convoy.

Efforts to obtain further clarification from the hospital’s Chief Medical Director, Dr Stephen Hwande, were unsuccessful as he did not respond to calls placed to his telephone.

Meanwhile, the NDC in Benue claimed that one of the youths allegedly involved in the attack had died while receiving treatment at the hospital.

The party’s state publicity secretary, Agile-Bem Jabez Ordedoo, made the claim in a statement issued on Wednesday.

“We regret to announce to you that one amongst the young men sponsored to attack the Presidential and Governorship candidates of NDC has passed on this morning at teaching hospital, Makurdi,” Ordedoo said.

He claimed that the deceased had been deposited at the mortuary, while other injured youths were receiving treatment at the hospital’s emergency ward.

The party spokesperson further alleged that some of the injured youths had yet to be attended to because their parents had not arrived.

However, the alleged death and the circumstances surrounding the injuries could not be independently verified as of the time of filing this report.

The Benue State Police Command spokesperson, DSP Peter Orchia Aondongu, was also unavailable for comment.

The reported confrontation occurred shortly after Obi arrived in Makurdi on Tuesday as part of his planned visit to Yelwata, where he intended to sympathise with victims of last year’s deadly attack.

Obi subsequently alleged that a government-linked youth official was behind the mobilisation of youths who blocked his movement.

The latest incident has generated competing accounts over what happened and the identity of those injured, with no independent official confirmation yet establishing the circumstances that led to the hospitalisation of the victims.