Conflicting reports have emerged over the number and condition of youths injured during Tuesday’s disruption of the convoy of the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, in Benue State.
Obi’s convoy was reportedly blocked along the Gboko-Makurdi Expressway while he was on his way to Yelwata in Guma Local Government Area to sympathise with victims of the June 13, 2025 terrorist attack.
The incident reportedly resulted in injuries, with more than 10 youths said to have been taken to the Benue State University Teaching Hospital (BSUTH), Makurdi, for medical treatment.
An official of the hospital, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed that over 10 wounded persons were brought to the facility.
However, the official said the hospital could not establish whether the victims were directly involved in the incident involving Obi’s convoy.
> “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 said.
The hospital official’s account contrasts with a claim by the NDC Benue State publicity secretary, Agile-Bem Jabez Ordedoo, who announced that one of the youths allegedly involved in the attack had died while receiving treatment at the hospital.
As of the time of filing the report, the Chief Medical Director of BSUTH, Dr Stephen Hwande, had not publicly confirmed the reported death.
Meanwhile, Obi has accused the Special Assistant to Governor Hyacinth Alia on Youths of allegedly masterminding the attack and mobilising youths to prevent his movement to Yelwata.
The conflicting accounts have now shifted attention from the political confrontation on the road to the condition of those injured and whether an independent investigation will establish exactly what happened during the incident.
The development is expected to further fuel political tensions in Benue as parties and political actors begin positioning themselves ahead of the 2027 elections.
