From Attah Ede, Makurdi

The Benue State Police Command on Wednesday, said it has arrested 46 persons in connection with Tuesday’s disruption of the visit of Peter Obi, the Presidential Candidate of Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC) in the State.

Obi, who was in Makurdi, Benue State capital on a private visit to condole and donate relief materials to victims of Yelwata massacre, had his movement disrupted by some group of persons who demanded him to leave the state.

The incident has raised a lot of dust with the Police and the State government disagreeing on whether notification was given for the visit.

At a press conference on Wednesday, the Commissioner of Police Cletus Nwadiogbu revealed that key arrests have been made, while efforts are ongoing to arrest all other persons connected with the incident.

He maintained it became necessary to clarify issues surrounding the unfortunate obstruction of the movement of Mr. Peter Obi during his visit to Benue State on Tuesday, 8th September 2026.

The CP reiterated that the command was duly informed of the visit at about 1730hrs on Monday, 7th September, 2026 and consequently, adequate security was deployed, including three Police escort vehicles with personnel led by an Assistant Commissioner of Police.

“Despite these security measures, Mr. Obi’s movement was obstructed by a group of persons, creating tension and a situation that could have degenerated into violence.

 “At this point, the Police took a professional and tactical decision to avoid an escalation that could have resulted in loss of lives and destruction of property by escorting him safely back to the airport and he departed the state peacefully.

“Let me state clearly that the tactical decision taken by the Police should not be mistaken for inaction. The Command immediately commenced intelligence-led operations to identify those responsible.

“The Benue State Police Command remains neutral and professional! Institution. Every Nigerian has the right to freedom of movement, irrespective of political affiliation, status or personal belief. No individual or group has the right to unlawfully obstruct another person’s movement”, the CP said.

He assured the public that all those found culpable will be dealt with in accordance with the law.

The CP therefore urged members of the public to remain calm and allow the Police to conclude their investigation”.

The Federal Civil Service Commission (FCSC) has released the dates and designated centres for the 2026 Directorate-Level Promotion Examination.

The examination is scheduled in accordance with Circular Ref. No. FC.

Ibraheem Zakariyya, Head of Press and Public Relations of the Commission, disclosed this in a statement issued on Wednesday in Abuja.

Zakariyya quoted Olaopa to have informed all accredited candidates of the scheduled dates for the local and foreign legs of the examination.

Olaopa advised candidates to carefully note the examination date indicated on their examination cards and report at their designated venues by 7:00 a.m. prompt.

He said the local leg of the examination would hold from Monday, Sept. 21 to Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2026, for candidates across all applicable grade levels.

The examination, he said, would be conducted across the six geopolitical zones and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

He listed the designated centres as Lafia, Nasarawa State, for the North-Central zone; Kaduna, Kaduna State, for the North-West zone; and Bauchi, Bauchi State, for the North-East zone.

Others are Port Harcourt, Rivers State, for the South-South; Ibadan, Oyo State, for the South-West; Enugu, Enugu State, for the South-East; and Abuja, FCT, for the FCT and Commission headquarters.

He urged candidates to sit for the examination only at the venue specifically indicated on their examination identity cards.

“The Commission therefore urges all accredited candidates to verify their examination details ahead of time and make adequate arrangements to arrive at their respective centres early to avoid any inconvenience,” he said.

He further said that the foreign leg of the examination was scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026.

He said the foreign examination centres would be located in Ottawa, Canada; London, United Kingdom; Beijing, China; and Cairo, Egypt, as indicated in the official timetable.

Olaopa reiterated the commission’s commitment to ensuring a transparent, orderly and credible promotion examination process.

He also called on concerned Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), Permanent Secretaries, Accounting Officers and Chief Executive Officers to ensure that the contents of the circular were brought to the attention of all affected officers for strict compliance.

The Institute of Marine and Offshore Nigeria (IMION) has urged the Nigerian Ports Economic Regulatory Agency (NPERA) to deploy a port Single Window.

The institute made the call on Wednesday at the closing of its three-day executive course in Lagos on logistics and trade facilitation.

The course was with the theme: ‘Logistics and Trade Facilitation for Blue Economy Growth’.

IMION said policies must translate into practical action to improve safety, attract investment and enhance service delivery across ports and offshore operations.

Director-General, African Centre for Supply Chain Management, Dr.

Madu said multiple agencies with legitimate mandates often create duplication, conflicting requirements, repeated inspections and unclear accountability.

He said such fragmentation increased the cost of doing business in Nigerian ports and undermined trade competitiveness.

Madu urged NPERA to resolve conflicts arising from overlapping mandates, stressing that “good laws produce bad outcomes without coordination”.

He added that traders deserved “one data submission and one inspection” to reduce delays and improve efficiency.

Madu called for clear Key Performance Indicators for agencies and users, with customer experience serving as the ultimate measure.

He said the indicators should track time, cost and predictability across port processes.

Madu advocated trade simplification through digitisation, transparent documentation and predictable cargo release.

He asked whether reforms had actually reduced trading time and costs for businesses operating across Nigeria’s ports.

Madu said businesses should know requirements, costs, timelines and appeal channels upfront to improve certainty and accountability.

He said modern inspection should rely on intelligence, risk management and technology rather than excessive bureaucracy.

Madu warned that technology should “reduce friction, not digitise bureaucracy”, saying uncoordinated controls could worsen delays and increase costs.

He said additional controls without proper coordination could create opportunities for corruption and undermine the benefits of digitalisation.

Madu said infrastructure alone could not move trade, as slow and fragmented procedures could erode value in spite of available ports, roads, railways and vessels.

He said trade facilitation should make legitimate trade faster, cheaper and more transparent without compromising regulatory requirements.

According to him, efficient trade processes would support growth, investment and improved cash flow for businesses.

Also speaking, Dr Eugene Itua of the Africa Green Economy and Sustainability Initiative said sustainability and risk management must balance economic efficiency.

He said they must also promote environmental protection and social equity across blue economy logistics.

Itua said Nigeria’s maritime competitiveness would depend on smarter compliance and stronger collaboration among government agencies.

He added that a skilled workforce would be essential to harness emerging opportunities in offshore operations and logistics. (NAN)