The New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) has tackled the federal government following the recent bloodshed in Benue State, describing the response from President Bola Tinubu’s administration as lukewarm, insensitive and lacking basic human empathy.
In a statement issued in Abuja on Thursday, NNPP National Publicity Secretary, Ladipo Johnson, decried the mass killing of over 200 residents in Yelewata community, Guma Local Government Area, allegedly perpetrated by suspected Fulani herdsmen.
“This is a horrifying act of mass murder. Over 200 innocent Nigerians were slaughtered and property destroyed without provocation. What’s worse, it took the Federal Government days to meaningfully intervene,” Johnson said.
The party did not hold back in its criticism of President Tinubu, questioning his administration’s apparent inability—or unwillingness—to respond decisively to the recurring violence that has turned Benue into what many now describe as a killing field.
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Johnson called the notion preposterous, insisting that what is happening in Benue is not a communal conflict but “organised terrorism or even genocide.
“How do you ask grieving communities to sit down and negotiate with killers?” he queried. “Until the government recognises these atrocities for what they truly are—acts of terrorism—the carnage will continue unchecked”, he added.
The party also aimed a leaked directive allegedly issued by a presidential aide to the Benue State Governor, urging support groups to organise a colourful procession to welcome Tinubu to Makurdi, even as the community reeled from the massacre.
“Such fanfare amid tragedy shows a stunning lack of empathy,” Johnson fumed.
“How could anyone think it appropriate to stage a spectacle while hundreds of citizens lie dead and communities are grieving?”
Concluding its statement, the NNPP extended heartfelt condolences to the people of Benue State, urging the Federal Government to rise beyond rhetoric and perform its constitutional duty of protecting lives and property.
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“This moment calls for courage and political will. President Tinubu must find it within himself to call a spade a spade—not a big spoon”, Johnson concluded.
