By SCM Correspondent l Thursday, Sept 10, 2026
MAKURDI — Human rights monitoring watchdog Amnesty International has launched a scathing attack on the Benue State Government and relevant security authorities following what it termed a reckless, unlawful, and unprecedented act of political hooliganism aimed at silencing opposition voices.
The scathing indictment comes in the wake of a violent blockade staged along the Makurdi-Gboko Road, where heavily armed political thugs barricaded the entry point to intercept and turn back the convoy of opposition presidential candidate Peter Obi.
Obi, who was traveling on a humanitarian mission to console victim families in communities recently devastated by violent attacks, was forced to abort his journey as armed youths—allegedly acting under state-endorsed cover—mounted dangerous obstructions.
Reacting sharply to the incident, Amnesty International warned that Nigeria’s constitutional democracy faces a systemic crisis if state actors continue to turn their jurisdictions into private fiefdoms where rival political parties operate under severe intimidation.
In a strongly worded statement issued in response to the Makurdi blockade, Amnesty International declared that the Benue State Government has tough questions to answer regarding the brazen breach of fundamental human rights.
”No Nigerian needs anybody’s permission or prior notification to visit any part of the country — at all times,” the organization stressed, rebuking the disturbing trend of governors acting as gatekeepers of federal state territory. “No state is a no-go area for any person or supporters of any political party.”
The rights body described the blockade of the opposition leader’s entourage as a coordinated, high-risk operation that put the lives of citizens and political figures in immediate danger.
The organization condemned the deployment of armed vigilante groups and state-endorsed thugs, noting that using violent non-state actors as political enforcement tools is entirely illegal under Nigerian and international law.
A Escalating Pattern of State-Sponsored Repression
The watchdog noted that the Makurdi road incident is not an isolated event but part of an alarming, systematic crackdown on political freedoms that has escalated drastically over the past year.
Amnesty revealed that it has been meticulously documenting a disturbing level of political intolerance across several states.
The tactics include:
Venue Denial: Coercing hospitality establishments, hotels, and public halls into refusing service to opposition figures attempting to host political meetings.
Direct Physical Disruptions: Deploying armed non-state actors to break up peaceful gatherings and campaign events.
State Interception: Using security protocols as a pretext to restrict access to targeted territories.
Through these actions, several state governments have effectively instituted an unannounced policy of eliminating the political playing field, creating an environment of fear that threatens to stifle democracy ahead of upcoming general elections.
Security Failure and Federal Complicity
Amnesty International leveled severe criticism at the Federal Government and law enforcement agencies for their passive response to state-level thuggery. The organisation expressed serious concern that relevant authorities have consistently failed to investigate past violent interruptions or bring perpetrators and their high-ranking sponsors to justice.
”We are seriously concerned that the Nigerian Government is doing very little to prevent political repression and violence,” the statement noted. “The failure of relevant authorities to investigate and bring to justice the suspected perpetrators of such acts only serves to embolden political hooliganism.”
The Road Ahead: A Call for Accountability
As tensions mount, Amnesty International has called on all political parties, state actors, and presidential hopefuls to immediately adopt a zero-tolerance stance against thuggery, integrating clear anti-violence pledges into their campaigns.
Without decisive, unselective intervention by law enforcement to dismantle state-sanctioned vigilantes and arrest those obstructing constitutionally guaranteed freedoms, Nigeria’s democratic framework risks dissolving into widespread lawlessness. Political thuggery must not be allowed to define the nation’s political future.
