Police operatives have taken over security arrangements at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory ahead of the arraignment of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan on alleged defamation today.

The police personnel, numbering over 200, are stationed in strategic locations and also within the court premises.

Armed with various weapons, they were said to have been deployed to the court to ward off possible threats to peace in the area before, during, and after the arraignment.

At the time of this report, politicians believed to be followers of former Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Adoza Bello, have jam-packed the courtroom, waiting for the arraignment slated for 11 a.m.

Although Senator Natasha has yet to arrive in court, her sympathizers, led by former Minister of Education, Oby Ezekwesili, and other human rights activists, have arrived in court.

Natasha is billed for arraignment before the court on a 3-count charge of defamation brought against her by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice.

She was said to have defamed the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, and former Governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Yahaya Adoza Bello.

Also, several leading lawyers, led by Roland Otaru, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, have arrived in the courtroom.

Youths in Benue State have pulled down the All Progressives Congress (APC) flag while President Tinubu was in town.

The President had on Monday announced plans to shelve official Kaduna visit for Benue following the bloodbath at Yelwata and Daudu communities in Guma local government areas of Benue state.

The visit comes after President Tinubu received backlash for not visiting the state despite the merciless killings, and wiping away of entire families in parts of the state.

According to videos in circulation, some youths are angry at the APC led administration and were seen removing their flags from those bearing them to welcome the president.

During the protest, they accused the President of campaigning ahead of the 2027 elections, and not in the state to sympathise with the people.

In one of the videos, hundreds of youths were seen chanting “We no go gree,” with passers-by thinking they heard gunshots.

In another video some of the youths shouted “No more APC flags” as they tore it down.

The same user posted another video showing some people running, with gunshots at the background.

A man holding the camera claimed that they were being teargassed.

It would be recalled that earlier on Wednesday, the Tor Tiv, His Royal Majesty Prof. James Ayatse has rejected claims that the killings were as a result of herders/farmers clash.

He told President Bola Ahmed Tinubu that, “What we are dealing with here in Benue is a calculated, well-planned, full-scale genocidal invasion and land grabbing campaign by herder terrorists and bandits, which has been going on for decades and is worsening every year.

“Wrong diagnosis will always lead to wrong treatment. So, we are dealing with something far more sinister than we think about.

“It’s not learning to live with your neighbours; it is dealing with the war,” he stressed, calling for an end to the killings.

Few hours before President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s scheduled visit to Benue State, the Makurdi–Lafia–Abuja road has been rendered impassable due to heavy flooding.