NDC Never Told Me To Transmit Letter Of Obi’s Visit To Governor – Benue CP

The Commissioner of Police in Benue State, Cletus Nwadiogbu, has addressed claims that the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC) informed the police before its presidential candidate, Peter Obi, visited the state.

Naija News earlier reported that Obi’s spokesman, Valentine Obienyem, shared a letter showing that Nwadiogbu was notified before his principal visited Benue State.

He was responding to claims by the Benue State government that they were not aware the NDC flag bearer planned to visit.

Speaking on the letter during an appearance on Channels Television’s Lunch Time Politics programme on Thursday, Nwadiogbu stated that the NDC never asked him to notify Governor Hyacinth Alia of Obi’s visit.

Nwadiogbu said NDC members presented the letter to him after visiting his office to inform the police command about Obi’s planned arrival in the state, adding that the information was primarily for security arrangements.

According to him, members of the NDC initially informed his Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) that they intended to visit him, but arrived at about 5:30 pm, after waiting several hours.

“On that very day, my PRO came to me and said members of NDC said they are paying me a visit. I said, well, I am currently in the office, and the PRO said they are coming by 3 pm. I said ‘Okay.’

“We waited from 3 pm to 4 to 4:30. Eventually, they arrived around 5:30, when we were about to leave the office. They visited me; by the end of the discussion, they presented me with a letter and told me the main issue that brought them: that the presidential candidate is going to be in town by 8 am the next day.

“I said, ah, we don’t have police kept in any room or store or like a yam barn. All our men are always engaged on duty. Everywhere in Nigeria, we lack manpower, so all our men are always engaged. For us to give out men, we’ll need time to make men available for every operation,” he said.

The commissioner, however, said the delegation explained that Obi was not coming for a campaign but only for a visit and that they required only a limited number of security personnel.

He said he consequently made arrangements for three patrol teams to accompany the former Anambra State governor’s movement.

“But when they told me, I said, well, I cannot stop them. When I told them, they said, no, no, he’s not coming for campaign; he’s just coming for a visit. What they need is just few men. I said okay, I’d not give a VIP that few men. I am going to make sure I provide three patrol teams with full complements, and that was exactly what I did,” Nwadiogbu said.

The commissioner said the teams were led by the Assistant Commissioner of Police in charge of operations as part of the security measures put in place for Obi’s visit.

Addressing the controversy over whether the police were expected to forward the NDC’s letter to the governor, Nwadiogbu said that was not part of the request made to him.

“To the issue of transmitting the letter to the governor, they never told me to transmit to anybody. The assumption is that they have finished every other aspect of what they want to do and how they are going about their movement. They came to inform me, that the information is basically for provision of security, and that was what I did,” he said.

Nwadiogbu also maintained that the officers deployed for Obi’s visit were provided for security purposes and were not assigned to “combat protests.”