The fallout from President Tinubu’s June 18, 2025, condolence visit to Benue State—following massacres that killed 100–200 Christians in Yelewata—revealed deep societal fractures and governance failures. Below is a structured analysis of the key consequences.
1. Political Backlash and Accusations of Insincerity
Ceremonial Optics vs. Mourning Context: The visit included a military parade, a red carpet, presidential insignia, and orchestrated crowds (including schoolchildren made to stand in the rain). Critics criticised this as a “political spectacle”, diverting attention from the victims’ grief. Human rights lawyer Dele Farotimi condemned Tinubu’s tone as resembling a “campaign rally”
Governor Alia’s Role: Governor Hyacinth Alia intensified criticism by declaring a public holiday and mobilising “colourful processions” via a state circular. Analysts like Festus Ogun decried the prioritisation of pageantry over empathy.
Opposition Condemnation: Former VP Atiku Abubakar’s media team called the visit “theatrics,” while protesters in Makurdi were tear-gassed for demanding tangible security action.
🚨 2. Security Lapses and Escalating Violence
Immediate Post-Visit Attack: Barely 48 hours after Tinubu’s departure, armed herdsmen attacked Wannune (Tarka LGA), burning homes and forcing residents—including NYSC members—to flee. These undermined presidential promises of protection.
Broader Security Failures: Despite Tinubu directing police and military chiefs to “arrest perpetrators,” Benue recorded over 500 deaths in 2025 alone. Security expert Kabir Adamu noted systemic dysfunction, citing ₦6 trillion security budgets (2023–2025) failing to prevent 17,000 fatalities under Tinubu.
The Nigerian Police Force announced on Sunday, 22 June, their arrest of the perpetrators of the Yelewata massacre.
📢 3. Public Distrust and Civil Society Reactions
Local Scepticism: Community leader Tyohemba Adakole voiced exhaustion: “We are tired of burying our people… what we need is protection”.
Digital Activism: Social media campaigns (#StateOfEmergencyInBenue) contrasted federal inaction in Benue with swift emergency declarations in Rivers State (where no deaths occurred).
Celebrity and International Shame: Reality star Tacha noted Pope Leo acknowledged the massacres before Nigeria’s government did, while the UN condemned the violence.
📱 4. Media Dynamics and Eroding Trust
Shift to Digital News: X (formerly Twitter) became the primary news source (49% usage), overtaking WhatsApp. Users relied on influencers for real-time updates, bypassing traditional media.
Regulation Fears: The National Broadcasting Commission advocated for social media regulation, describing platforms as “monsters.”
Users associated this with repression, citing journalist Isaac Bristol’s detention under cybercrime laws.
⚠️ 5. Governance and Structural Implications
Reactive Policy: No National Security Council convened after the massacre, revealing ad hoc crisis management. Tinubu’s pledges of “justice” were dismissed as performative without accountability frameworks.
Political Fragmentation: Divisions between Governor Alia, SGF George Akume, and former Governor Samuel Ortom obstruct coordinated action. Akume controversially denied religious motives for killings, calling them “economically motivated”.
Critics called for comprehensive reforms.
Farotimi and analysts supported establishing a state police force and local self-defence, pointing to the failure of centralised security. Climate-related resource conflicts, such as desertification, which forced herders southward, were left unaddressed.
Summary Table: Fallout Overview
Fallout Aspect Description
Security Directives Orders to security agencies to act against armed herdsmen and restore peace.
Political Criticism Accusations of insensitivity and political theatrics from opposition leaders.
Community Mobilization State government organized celebratory processions, sparking further criticism.
Local Sentiment Mixed reactions: some welcomed federal attention, others decried lack of empathy and real action
Conclusion
President Tinubu’s condolence visit to Benue State, while intended to demonstrate federal concern and initiate security action, became a flashpoint for political and public debate. The fallout has centred on the perceived mismatch between the tragedy’s gravity and the visit’s celebratory tone and ongoing concerns about the effectiveness of government responses to insecurity in the region.
Chief of Defence says the Army received false information
https://www.thecable.ng/cds-troops-received-false-information-from-locals-before-benue-killings/
Citizens respond: The National Coalition Against Mass Killings and Impunity (NCAMKI), supported by the Gani Fawehinmi Memorial Organisation, criticised the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Musa, over his claim that residents of Benue State “provided food, shelter and even women” to the armed killers behind the recent Yelewata massacre.
In a statement on 22 June, the Group said the statement was “reckless, insensitive, and highly provocative.” It condemned the “dangerous and insulting narrative,” arguing that it re-victimises grieving communities while deflecting attention from the government’s failure to protect lives and property.
“The baseless and provocative accusation, claiming that residents aided and abetted the killers, including the shameful assertion that ‘women were given to them,’ is not only unverified but deeply demeaning to the memory of those killed, especially women and children.”
A citizen commented on WhatsApp: “We have DIA, the Army has its intelligence, and he is proud to say they were misled by false information. After discovering the real community, what did they do? Five days after the massacre, Tinubu asked the IGP and him: Why have there been no arrests?”
Remember, he went to Bishop Abioye’s church to seek prayers to overcome the insurgency. We should stop sending our military to Sandhurst and other training centres and, instead, direct them to prayer sessions at RCCG, Winners Chapel, and other churches.”
“How Come No Arrest Has Been Made?” – Tinubu Questions Police Chief Over Benue Killings
The Nigerian Police Force responded to the President one week later. They announced at a press conference on Sunday, 22 June 2025, the arrest of those who carried out the Yelewata massacre.
Why the Tor Tiv is trending
The Tor Tiv of Benue State, His Royal Majesty Professor James Ayatse, has become a trending topic due to his forceful condemnation of the Benue massacres during President Tinubu’s 18 June 2025, condolence visit. His statements exposed deep-rooted crises and sparked a national discourse.
The key reasons are as follows.
1. Blunt Rejection of Official Narratives
Genocide Accusation: Tor Tiv explicitly dismissed federal descriptions of the violence as “farmer-herder clashes,” describing it as a “calculated, well-planned genocidal invasion and land-grabbing campaign” by herder-terrorists.
Critique of Misdiagnosis: He argued that misrepresenting the conflict results in ineffective policies (e.g., calls for “tolerance” or “negotiation”), emphasising: “Wrong diagnosis will always lead to wrong treatment”.
2. Condemnation of Political Exploitation
Tor Tiv criticised Benue politicians for deliberately politicising the crisis, claiming some sought to incite violence to justify a declaration of a state of emergency, describing this as “unfortunate and against the people’s wishes”.
He highlighted how political infighting (e.g., rifts between Governor Alia, SGF Akume, and ex-Governor Ortom) obstructed unified action.
🌾 3. Linking Violence to Food Insecurity
He emphasised that attacks forced farmers to flee, worsening the national food crisis: “Our farmers have been chased out of their farms. There is hunger… All we ask is peace to produce food”.
This echoed his earlier order for herders to vacate Tiv farmlands by May 2025 to safeguard the planting season.
4. Invocation of Historical Grievances
Tor Tiv reminded Tinubu of Benue’s sacrifices for Nigeria (e.g., high death tolls during the Civil War), demanding: “Why should we be treated like this?”
He cited systemic neglect, noting over 500 deaths in Benue in 2025 alone, despite ₦6 trillion federal security budgets.
5. Media Amplification and Public Resonance
His speech went viral on social media (#StateOfEmergencyInBenue), with snippets widely shared on Facebook, Twitter, and news outlets.
Contrasts drew attention—e.g., Pope Leo and the UN condemned the massacres before Nigeria’s government did. Many people on Facebook and other platforms shared the whole speech.
6. Immediate Government Response
His demands pressured President Tinubu to order a peace committee led by SGF Akume, involving the Tor Tiv and the Och’Idoma.
Tinubu publicly instructed security agencies to “apprehend perpetrators,” though locals dismissed this as performative without systemic reforms.
A Symbol of Resistance
The Tor Tiv’s growing prominence arises from his role as a truth-teller who challenges state and federal failures. By framing the crisis as a genocidal war rather than “clashes” and exposing political opportunism, he has become a national symbol of accountability demands. His influence continues through ongoing peace efforts—yet as he warned, lasting resolution requires “depoliticised security governance.”
FG celebrates Yahaya Bello at 50 with an outstanding corruption case
Many on social media pointed to the oddity and contradiction in the presidential celebration of a wanted citizen, former Kogi State Governor Mr. Yahaya Bello. Citizens rued the optics.
Through the EFCC, the FG is prosecuting a man for ₦80 billion in corruption during his tenure as governor. Additionally, the FG has taken legal action on his behalf in a defamation suit involving Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan and Godswill Akpabio. Yet, the same FG (via the presidency’s X handle) wishes him a happy birthday. The fight against corruption is non-existent in Nigeria. There is no shame or integrity in government. Nigeria is a comedy of the absurd.
Igbo Day declared in North Carolina
