What should have been a solemn condolence visit by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to Benue State on Tuesday has sparked intense public backlash, following disturbing reports that schoolchildren were made to line the streets under heavy rainfall to welcome the visiting dignitary.
President Tinubu had arrived in the state to commiserate with the people of Yelwata, Guma Local Government Area, where over 300 residents were recently killed in a brutal attack reportedly carried out by suspected herdsmen. The tragedy drew national grief and was expected to be met with a respectful and sober visit.
However, what unfolded on the ground sharply contradicted those expectations. Instead of a low-key humanitarian stopover, the visit morphed into what many described as a political spectacle. Supporters and mobilized groups lined the roads with placards displaying campaign-style images of the President and Governor Hyacinth Alia, with slogans that appeared to suggest ambitions beyond 2027.
Even more controversial was the participation of minors — students of public schools — who, according to eyewitnesses, were assembled along major streets in Makurdi and left standing in the rain for hours to cheer the presidential motorcade. This occurred despite the declaration of a public holiday across the state, ostensibly to honour the President’s visit.
Videos capturing the scene flooded social media within hours, showing drenched children waving flags and banners. The footage ignited widespread condemnation, with Nigerians online calling the act insensitive and exploitative.
“This is nonsense,” wrote Facebook user Ogwuche Anderson Paul. “If my child were there, I would go pick them up.”
“Why mobilize schoolchildren on a public holiday? What a country,” added Felix Shaibu in disbelief.
“This is not just embarrassing; it’s institutional child abuse,” another commenter, Boaz Jachin, posted.
Public criticism further intensified when a leaked message from Francis U. Ngutswen, Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Special Groups Mobilization, began circulating online. The message revealed deliberate plans for a choreographed welcome, urging APC support groups to stage a “colourful shoulder-to-shoulder procession” for the President.
“At the instance of our dear Governor, His Excellency Fr Dr Hyacinth Iormem Alia, the Leader of the All Progressives Congress in Benue State, kindly mobilize massively to give a rousing welcome to our President… from the Airport to Wurukum Roundabout and down to Government House,” the directive stated.
The juxtaposition of political showmanship with the gravity of recent killings in the state has raised questions about the priorities of both state and federal officials. Critics argue that the display was not only tone-deaf but deeply inappropriate, given the mourning mood in Benue.
As of press time, there has been no official statement from the Presidency or the Benue State Government addressing the controversy.
For many observers, the spectacle was yet another example of politics taking precedence over empathy — and of the vulnerable being used as props in a democracy that should protect them.
