President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will visit Benue State on Wednesday, June 18, in a direct response to the recent wave of deadly attacks that have left more than 100 people dead and displaced many others in the Yelewata community and surrounding areas.
The visit, confirmed in a statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, marks a significant shift in the President’s itinerary, as he rescheduled his planned official trip to Kaduna to prioritize Benue.
“President Bola Tinubu has rescheduled his official visit to Kaduna State. Instead, he will travel to Benue State on Wednesday… as part of renewed efforts to foster peace and address the persistent conflict affecting communities in the state,” Onanuga said.
According to the statement, President Tinubu is expected to meet with traditional rulers, political leaders, religious figures, community elders, youth groups, and other stakeholders in a bid to find sustainable solutions to the escalating violence in the region.
Ahead of his visit, the President directed the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, and heads of other security agencies to immediately relocate to Benue and coordinate emergency response efforts. The IGP arrived in the state on Monday, The Guardian reports.
The President’s visit comes after widespread criticism over his delayed reaction to the massacre, which saw scores killed in a single night by suspected herdsmen in Yelewata, Guma Local Government Area.
Tinubu had condemned the attacks in a statement released late Sunday, but many Nigerians — including civil society groups and youth demonstrators — described the response as too slow and lacking empathy.
The upcoming visit is seen as an attempt to reassure a grieving population, restore confidence, and demonstrate federal commitment to ending the violence.