President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has come under intense criticism following his description of the recent mass killings in Yelewata, Guma Local Government Area of Benue State, as a “reprisal attack.”
While condemning the brutal killing of over 200 villagers, the President, through a statement issued by his media aide, Bayo Onanuga, characterized the massacre as part of a renewed wave of retaliatory violence.
According to the statement, Tinubu has “renewed his order in the wake of the latest round of reprisal attacks that led to the death of many people.” However, the declaration did not clarify the basis for categorizing the reported unprovoked assault as a reprisal, prompting widespread outrage from Benue residents and stakeholders.
Atu Terver, Principal Special Assistant to the Benue State Governor on Youth and Media Mobilization, expressed deep disappointment in a post on his official Facebook page, stating, “The press statement by the President is just making me shed tears.” He added, “How can u call genocide a reprisal attack?”
Human rights activist Ukan Kurugh also reacted, questioning the intent behind the statement. “Bayo Onanuga speaking on behalf of the President on his X account called this a reprisal attack? Indeed nobody is coming for us but we must save ourselves,” he wrote.
Similarly, Aguredam Keghter Moses, Deputy Country Director of the African Youth Union Commission in Nigeria, hinted at deeper implications in the President’s words. “That press statement from the President should communicate a ‘CLEAR MESSAGE’ already,” he stated on Facebook.
The President’s remarks have continued to spark national debate, with calls for clarity and accountability in the government’s response to the escalating violence in Benue State.
