How I was barred from visiting Benue IDP camps — Peter Obi

Obi, who had planned to visit internally displaced persons (IDP) camps and health institutions in Benue on Monday, cancelled his trip after the government issued a statement warning against unscheduled visits, citing security concerns.

In a detailed statement shared via his official X (formerly Twitter) account, Obi expressed disappointment over what he perceived as the politicisation of charitable initiatives in Nigeria.

“I was taken aback by the reaction, as my trip was aimed at supporting health and education initiatives and visiting displaced persons, not for political engagement,” he said.

The 63-year-old revealed that his two-day humanitarian outreach began in Plateau State, where Governor Caleb Mutfwang warmly received him on Sunday.

He noted that while his visit to Plateau went smoothly, efforts to communicate with Governor Hyacinth Alia of Benue ahead of the Makurdi leg of the journey were unsuccessful.

“Despite multiple attempts to reach him directly and through his aides, I received no confirmation. Eventually, while en route to Makurdi, a press statement was issued warning against the visit,” Obi stated.

He added that the government’s statement curiously referenced the exact details of his itinerary—information he said had only been shared with the governor’s Aide-de-Camp (ADC) and local security personnel.

“The letter referred exactly to my itinerary, which I had earlier conveyed to the ADC directly and to the security operatives in Benue through my own security,” Obi said.