It would have been better if the President didn’t visit Benue – Dele Farotimi

Human rights lawyer Dele Farotimi has said it would have been better if President Bola Tinubu had not visited Benue State on June 18.

Speaking on Channels TV the following day, Farotimi criticized the red-carpet welcome Tinubu received, saying it was inappropriate amid the ongoing attacks in the state. He noted that the only meaningful statement during the visit came from the Tor Tiv V, James Ayatse, who described the violence as a “calculated, well-planned, full-scale genocidal invasion and land grabbing campaign” by herder terrorists and bandits.

“I must say very quickly that it would have been better if the president didn’t go. The only thing worthy of anybody’s time was the words of the Tor Tiv, who spoke extensively to the reality of the situation in the Benue trough and spoke eloquently to the pains of the victims.

Other than that, all the president had to offer were mere windows into his preoccupation and what truly concerns his aides and assistants.”he said

“In Benue, they knew exactly what was of importance to the president, so they ensured that they put up the necessary theatre for 2027. The de@th of over 200 people did not count much; they were mentioned only in passing, and you would have been excused that it was a political event.

The primary reason the state exists is to protect the lives and property of the citizens. We’ve almost lost our capacity to be shocked. 200 human beings were murdered, and the President went to Benue and was talking as if he were preparing for a campaign rally.

It was more or less that they went to dance on the graves of some of whom may not even be identified. Let the state begin to protect the lives and property of the citizens.” he said