Benue: I’ll clear my schedule to pay condolence visit on Wednesday — Tinubu

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President Bola Tinubu has pledged to suspend all official engagements in order to visit Benue State on Wednesday to commiserate with the people over recent deadly attacks that have claimed scores of lives.

“I will adjust my programme and go see Benue people on Wednesday,” Tinubu said on Monday while commissioning the Greater Abuja Water Supply Network in the Federal Capital Territory.

The President expressed deep sympathy for the victims and their families, urging the people of the state to remain united in the face of adversity.

“I sympathise with the people of Benue State and all who have lost loved ones in these attacks,” he said whilst urging the people of the state to manage their diversity, anger and frustration and live as one united people.

To demonstrate his commitment to resolving the crisis, President Tinubu has already deployed top government officials to the state, including the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, the Inspector General of Police, the National Security Adviser, and heads of intelligence agencies. Also dispatched are the Chairmen of the Senate and House Defence Committees.

According to the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the President will meet with a wide range of stakeholders during the visit, including traditional rulers, political leaders, religious figures, and youth groups—in a town hall meeting aimed at finding lasting solutions to the protracted violence.

As part of this move, Tinubu has postponed a previously scheduled visit to Kaduna State, where he was expected to commission key projects. That visit will now take place on Thursday, June 19, 2025, according to the revised itinerary.

Tinubu’s remarks come amid mounting criticism from opposition leaders, including Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi, who faulted the President for failing to visit the conflict-ridden North Central state despite the escalating violence.

Benue has been plagued by sustained attacks from suspected herdsmen, with recent weeks witnessing a spike in violence.

Reports indicate that over 160 people have been killed in multiple attacks on communities across the state, which is widely known as one of Nigeria’s key food-producing regions.

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