By Amos Aar
TENSION engulfed Makurdi, the Benue State capital, on Wednesday as aggrieved youths barricaded roads leading to the Ministry of Justice, the venue of the Local Government Election Petitions Tribunal.
According to a report by online newspaper, TheWill, the protesters set up bonfires using condemned vehicle tires and logs, obstructing access to the tribunal and causing disruptions in the area.
In response, operatives from the Zone 4 Police headquarters, Makurdi were deployed to five key entry points around the venue to ensure the safety of judges, litigants, and other stakeholders.
Teargas was fired near the Tito Gate Junction to disperse the demonstrators, but they remained resolute. Several motorcycles were confiscated and transported to the police headquarters in Makurdi.
Meanwhile, the Chief Registrar of the Benue State High Court, Franca Iwar, dismissed circulating rumors about the tribunal’s suspension.
In a letter addressed to the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) branches in Makurdi, Gboko, and Otukpo, she clarified that tribunal proceedings were ongoing at their designated venues.
She explained that after thugs disrupted the tribunal sitting on February 19, 2025, the Chief Judge of Benue State, Justice Maurice Ikpambese, reported the incident to the Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG), Zone 4, Makurdi, who subsequently took over security at the High Court of Justice.
The letter urged the public to disregard any misinformation suggesting the tribunal had been suspended.
Further investigations by National Record confirmed reports that Justice A. I. Tyonyiman, alongside two other judges, presided over cases from Zone A, while counsel to parties presented motions on Wednesday.
At Court 7, where petitions from Zone C were being heard, Justices M. M. Odinya, E. Azembe, and T. Alashi were in full session with legal representatives and litigants.
Efforts to obtain comments from the Benue State Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Sewuese Anene, were unsuccessful, as her phone was unreachable up to the time of filing this report.
