The governor of Benue State has instructed residents to avoid the locations of the ongoing local government election petition tribunals in Makurdi, Gboko, and Otukpo due to security reasons. The directive, communicated through the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, is intended to ensure the safety of tribunal officials, lawyers, petitioners, and witnesses. Access to designated court premises where tribunal proceedings are occurring will be limited to tribunal personnel only, as directed by the governor. To enhance security measures, protests, unauthorized gatherings, and commercial activities like hawking around the tribunal venues have been prohibited.
The governor emphasized the importance of maintaining law and order and warned of legal consequences for those who violate the directive. He assured the public of his administration’s commitment to providing a peaceful environment for the tribunals to function independently.
This directive comes in response to security concerns raised by lawyers representing numerous respondents, who had requested a halt to tribunal proceedings due to insecurity. However, the state Chief Judge rejected their request and directed the tribunals to continue sitting in Makurdi, Gboko, and Otukpo. The Chief Judge assured all involved parties of adequate security measures, citing assurances from the Assistant Inspector General of Police, Zone 4, Makurdi, regarding the deployment of security personnel to safeguard the tribunal venues.
Despite the presence of heavily armed security personnel, occasional protests by troublemakers have been observed around the tribunal premises, particularly in Makurdi.