President Bola Tinubu’s planned visit to Benue State, following the killing of over 147 people by terrorists and armed herders, comes far too late and under troubling circumstances.
Development Diaries reports that President Tinubu has planned a visit to the state on Wednesday, where he would galvanise security and rally the people against the marauders to end their dastardly actions.
This action is being taken after the president was silent for the first 24 hours after the killing.
This lack of urgency in response to such a national tragedy raises serious concerns about the administration’s priorities and its sensitivity to human suffering in crisis-prone areas.
While the decision to dispatch key figures like the National Security Advisor (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kayode Egbetokun and heads of intelligence to Benue ahead of the president’s visit may seem like a strong move, it does not erase the initial delay or the symbolic damage caused by Tinubu’s silence.
The loss of over 147 lives is not a footnote in the president’s schedule to be ‘adjusted for’. It demands immediate and visible leadership.
As the president prepares for this visit, he should understand that this visit must not become another ceremonial town hall gathering but must lead to concrete action, starting with identifying and prosecuting the perpetrators.
The violence in Benue is not new, it is part of a long pattern of deadly attacks that have consistently been met with weak responses and vague condemnations.
What has changed this time? Nothing, except perhaps that public pressure has made silence politically risky.
If the government is serious about ending this cycle, it must go beyond troop deployments and photo-ops. Security efforts must be matched with transparent investigations, swift justice, and community-centred peacebuilding, not just rhetoric about harmony and diversity.
The people of Benue do not need to be told to ‘manage their anger and frustration’, they need assurance that their lives matter to the state.
They need to see their government pursue justice as fiercely as it campaigns for votes.
President Tinubu’s visit, while symbolically important, must not be the end of the conversation, it must be the beginning of a sustained, justice-driven response that proves the Nigerian state can still protect its citizens.
Development Diaries calls on Mr. President to, as he visits Benue State, ensure that his presence must bring more than sympathy, it must bring solutions.
His visit should mark a turning point, a clear commitment to justice, not just condolences. The people of Benue are not asking for promises, they are demanding protection, accountability, and peace.
