Farotimi: Tinubu’s Benue Visit Was Worse Than No Visit at All

By WorldWire News | June 19, 2025

Dele Farotimi

Human rights lawyer and activist Dele Farotimi has sharply criticized President Bola Tinubu’s recent visit to Benue State, stating that the trip did little to honor the victims of ongoing violence and, in fact, appeared more like a political charade than a condolence mission.

Speaking on Channels Television, Farotimi remarked that Tor Tiv V, James Ayatse, was the only figure who addressed the gravity of the crisis. The traditional ruler had described the attacks in Benue as a “well-planned, genocidal invasion and land grabbing campaign by terrorist herders and bandits.” According to Farotimi, Ayatse's words captured the true pain and trauma of the people—something the President’s visit failed to reflect.

“It would have been better if the President hadn’t gone,” Farotimi said. “His remarks were superficial. The real suffering was sidelined.”

Farotimi condemned the red-carpet treatment accorded to the President in Makurdi, saying the reception prioritized political theater over empathy, especially in light of the recent killing of over 200 residents. He likened the event to a campaign rally, accusing Tinubu's aides of using the tragedy for political optics rather than delivering justice or offering real solutions.

“It felt like they were dancing on the graves of the victims,” he lamented.

Benue State, a key agricultural hub in Nigeria’s North-Central region, has endured years of deadly attacks, often attributed to clashes between nomadic herders and local farming communities. Farotimi called on the federal government to return to its primary duty of protecting lives and property, warning that the erosion of empathy and accountability in leadership signals a dangerous trend for Nigeria’s democracy.