• NDC explains silence on legal action as Ortom defends vehicle assistance for visit

Presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has condemned the latest killings in Benue State, urging the federal government and security agencies to urgently end the recurring attacks across the state and stop counting the dead.

In the meantime, Yelwata elders have appealed to Obi to return to their community, alleging political interests in the recent attempt to prevent him from meeting victims of insecurity and the displaced residents.

Stating that residents regretted the disruption of his recent visit, the elders, in a statement by their spokesperson, Isaac Obakpee, said Obi had shown concern for victims of insecurity even outside election periods.

Obi had visited Benue State to sympathise with victims and residents of the Yelwata community following the deadly attack that claimed several lives and displaced residents.

In another development, the NDC said it would not immediately pursue legal action against the Benue State Government over the disruption of the visit of its presidential candidate, Peter Obi, to the state, insisting on a transparent investigation into the incident.

MEANWHILE, former Governor Samuel Ortom has dismissed political collaboration in lending his vehicle to Obi during his recent visit to the state, saying the gesture was a simple courtesy.

Obi, in a statement via his X handle over the weekend, Obi said the reports of the latest attack at Ayilamo in Logo Local Council Area, in which civilians and security personnel were reportedly killed, were deeply distressing and had again left families mourning and communities traumatised.

Stressing that the government must move beyond condolences and take decisive action to protect lives, Obi stated that “whether the victim is a farmer, a child, a police officer, a soldier, a Christian, a Muslim, or a person of any ethnic group, every Nigerian life has equal value.”

Obi stated that though his recent visit to Benue, where he had sought to identify with affected families of the Yelwata violence, was disrupted, the experience had strengthened his resolve not to become indifferent to the sufferings of Nigerians.

According to him, the continued violence raises serious questions about the government’s responsibility to protect citizens.

According to the elders, Obi’s previous visits to internally displaced persons’ camps demonstrated genuine empathy for communities affected by violence and displacement.

The community spokesman accused Governor Hyacinth Alia’s administration of benefiting politically from the insecurity in the state, alleging that donations meant for affected residents had been diverted.

Responding to questions on the party’s reaction to the incident, the NDC National Publicity Secretary, Osa Director, said the visit was purely in solidarity with the affected communities, rather than a political campaign.

Director said the party was calling on the police for a transparent investigation into the circumstances surrounding the disruption, and to prosecute anyone found culpable.

However, Ortom explained that Obi, as a former governor and presidential candidate, deserved basic courtesy while visiting the state “on a humanitarian mission,” and that refusing him assistance would have been “petty, inhospitable, and beneath the dignity of a former governor.”