By Enyichukwu Enemanna
President Bola Tinubu on Monday said he will make “adjustments” in his schedule to pay a visit to Benue State, North Central Nigeria on Wednesday, in commiseration with the farming population where escalated attacks last Friday in Yelewata community left scores of residents dead.
“I will adjust my programme and go see Benue people on Wednesday,” Tinubu said on Monday while inaugurating a water project in the country’s capital, Abuja.
Benue State, bordered by Abuja and Kogi State, has been under heavy attacks by suspected herdsmen for some time. The killings have lingered for years, with some linking it to inter-communal conflicts as well as the quest for land dominance between the agrarian inhabitants and nomadic herdsmen.
The President also sympathised with the people of the state and those who lost their loved ones in the attacks.
He urged the people of the state to manage their diversity, anger, and frustration and live as one united people.
During his visit, Tinubu, elected in 2023, is expected to meet with all stakeholders — including traditional rulers, political, religious, community leaders, and youth groups — to seek lasting solutions to the hostilities.
“In preparation for the visit, President Tinubu has already dispatched the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, the Inspector General of Police, heads of intelligence agencies, the National Security Adviser, and the Chairmen of the Senate and House Defence Committees to Benue State.
“The President is expected to hold a town hall meeting with all stakeholders during the visit,” a statement by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, disclosed on Monday.
The attacks and escalated killings had prompted Catholic pontiff, Pope Leo XIV, to condemn what he described as a “terrible massacre” in Benue, saying it was “extreme cruelty”.
The killings have also attracted widespread protests and national outrage as many Nigerians are utterly displeased with the way the Federal Government has been handling the situation.
On Monday, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, arrived the state in the company of other senior management team and ordered the immediate deployment of additional tactical teams.
