President Bola Ahmed Tinubu today came under criticism following a viral video showing schoolchildren in Benue State lining rain-soaked streets to welcome him during a condolence visit to the state, where over 200 residents were recently killed in a deadly attack.
The President visited Benue on Wednesday, June 18, 2025, to commiserate with the government and people of the state over the gruesome killings in Yelwata, a community in Guma Local Government Area.
A video widely shared on X (formerly Twitter) showed uniformed pupils standing along major roads, reportedly in the rain, waiting for the President’s convoy to pass. The footage has since sparked a wave of backlash online, with many Nigerians describing the gesture as inappropriate in light of the sombre occasion.
The Benue State Government had declared a public holiday to honour the President’s visit. In a circular signed by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Barr. Serumun Deborah Aber Eso, the administration said the holiday was to enable citizens to turn out in large numbers to receive the President.
“This is in honour of the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Ahmed Bola Tinubu, GCFR, who is scheduled for a one-day visit to the state to commiserate with the government and people over the recurring security crises,” the memo stated.
The directive exempted essential workers, including healthcare providers, security personnel, and financial institutions.
However, the sight of young children waiting in the rain for a ceremonial welcome amid ongoing mourning has been described by critics as tone-deaf and politically insensitive.
A popular user on X, @OurFavOnlineDoc, wrote:
“A president that should go in quietly and soberly with shame and sadness is being welcomed with pomp and pageantry by the same kids whose parents and siblings were macheted and burnt to ashes… What kind of a sorry, soulless, senseless president is this?”
Another user, @Sir_Sean, said:
“We live in a deeply dysfunctional society with leaders that don’t care about the citizens, and citizens that are too docile to fight for what is rightfully theirs. A shambles of a nation.”
Some users directed their anger at the state government, accusing it of orchestrating a needless show.
@Mindin_Biz posted:
“It is not the President! It is the shameless disgrace to the Catholic priesthood Governor they have. Tinubu never asked for a public holiday to be declared, nor did he ask for kids to be lined up. It’s the handiwork of the governor and his political jobbers. A big shame indeed.”
The Yelwata massacre, which occurred between June 13 and 14, 2025, claimed over 200 lives, according to local and international reports. Amnesty International described the attack as one of the deadliest recorded in the state’s recent history.
Benue has long been at the centre of Nigeria’s farmer-herder conflict, with repeated calls from residents and civil society groups for urgent federal
