“It Was Like A Campaign Rally On Mass Graves” – Farotimi Slams Tinubu’s Benue Visit
Published: Thursday, June 19, 2025
Prominent human rights lawyer, Dele Farotimi, has delivered a scathing rebuke of President Bola Tinubu following his controversial visit to Benue State, describing the president’s conduct as “tone-deaf” and “political theatre” in the face of horrific killings.
According to Farotimi, the president’s presence in Benue—one of the hardest-hit states in Nigeria’s ongoing wave of deadly attacks by suspected herdsmen—was not only insensitive, but bordered on political mockery.
“200 people were murdered, and the president spoke like he was at a campaign rally. It would have been better if he didn’t come at all,” Farotimi said on Channels TV’s The Morning Brief.
💔 Mass Murder in Benue: What’s Really Happening?
Benue State, known as the “Food Basket of the Nation,” has become a killing field in recent months. Armed herdsmen and bandits have unleashed terror across multiple communities, killing over 160 people in two months—with the latest massacre in Yelewata reportedly claiming up to 200 lives, according to civil rights groups.
Though official figures downplayed the casualties to 59 deaths, eyewitnesses and advocacy groups insist the government is underreporting the scale of devastation. Over 3,000 residents have been displaced, their homes burned, and their communities reduced to ashes.
🚨 Tinubu’s Visit: Red Carpet, Cameras… and Silence for the Dead?
President Tinubu finally visited Makurdi, the Benue State capital, on Wednesday—but rather than offering a heartfelt response or concrete action, critics say he gave a scripted speech that lacked emotion and urgency.
Farotimi did not hold back, saying:
“What Tinubu offered were mere windows into his real concerns—optics, not people. It was all theatre, carefully staged to curry favour ahead of 2027.”
In stark contrast, the only voice that truly resonated, according to Farotimi, was Tor Tiv V, James Ayatse, who boldly called the killings what many fear to say out loud:
“A calculated, well-planned, genocidal invasion and land-grabbing campaign by herder terrorists.”
🧠 Analysis: Why This Matters
- Security Failure: The Nigerian state continues to fail in its primary duty—protecting lives and property.
- Public Distrust: With the presidency perceived as detached and indifferent, public trust is deteriorating fast.
- Ethno-Religious Flashpoint: The attacks in Benue carry deep ethnic and religious undertones, raising fears of systematic cleansing.
📣 Farotimi’s Final Word:
“They went to dance on the graves of victims—some not yet buried or even identified. We’ve almost lost our ability to be shocked, and that’s dangerous.”
✍️ Conclusion
As President Tinubu walks away from Benue with more questions than answers, the people of the state are left picking up the pieces—not just of their lives and homes, but of their shattered faith in the Nigerian state. If leadership cannot feel the pain of its people, what hope remains for justice?
