By: Chioma Madonna Ndukwu
President Bola Tinubu has come under intense criticism over his description of the recent mass killings in Benue State as a “reprisal attack.”
The controversy follows the death of more than 200 people in Yelewata, Guma Local Government Area of Benue State. In a statement released by his media adviser, Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu condemned the violence but referred to the killings as part of a series of reprisal attacks.
His statement read in part: “The President has renewed his order in the wake of the latest round of reprisal attacks that led to the death of many people.”
However, the statement offered no explanation as to what the attacks were supposedly retaliating for, sparking outrage among residents and observers who described the killings as unprovoked.
Atu Terver, Principal Special Assistant to the Benue State Governor on Youth and Media Mobilization, expressed his dismay in a Facebook post: “That press statement by the President is just making me shed tears. How can you call genocide a reprisal attack?”
Activist Ukan Kurugh also reacted, questioning the official narrative: “Bayo Onanuga, speaking on behalf of the President, called this a reprisal attack? Indeed, nobody is coming for us — we must save ourselves.”
Aguredam Keghter Moses, Deputy Country Director of the African Youth Union Commission, Nigeria, said the President’s words carried serious implications. “That press statement from the President should communicate a CLEAR MESSAGE already,” he posted on social media.
The statement has reignited debate over the federal government’s response to violence in the Middle Belt region, where communities have faced repeated attacks in recent years.
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