President Bola Tinubu’s recent visit to Benue State has stirred controversy after reports emerged that schoolchildren were made to line the streets in the rain to welcome him.
Tinubu was in the state on Tuesday to condole with victims of violent attacks in Yelwata, Guma Local Government Area, where over 300 people were reportedly killed by suspected herders.
As reported by Daily Post, however, what was anticipated to be a somber condolence visit appeared to take a political turn.
Along major routes in Makurdi, groups were spotted holding placards with the images of President Tinubu and Governor Hyacinth Alia, bearing slogans that hinted at a campaign for Tinubu’s second term.
The state government had declared a public holiday for the President’s visit, but that didn’t stop pupils from government-run schools from being brought out to line the streets under heavy rainfall.
Eyewitnesses said many of the children stood for hours in the rain, visibly drenched, as they waited to welcome the President’s convoy.
The incident triggered an outpouring of criticism online, with videos from the scene going viral across various social media platforms.
“This is totally unacceptable,” wrote Ogwuche Anderson Paul. “If my child had been involved, I would have gone there immediately.”
“Why were schools even open when a public holiday was declared?” asked another user, Felix Shaibu.
Popular singer Anthony Q also weighed in, writing, “What kind of country is this?” while Boaz Jachin added, “Is this not child abuse?”
The backlash intensified after a message from Francis U. Ngutswen, the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Special Groups Mobilization, surfaced online.
In the message, he urged support groups to turn out in large numbers to welcome the President.
The directive, reportedly issued on behalf of Governor Alia, called for “a colourful shoulder-to-shoulder procession” from the airport to Wurukum Roundabout and on to the Government House in Makurdi, raising further questions about the true intent of the visit.
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