President Bola Tinubu has suspended his schedule visit to Kaduna State, for an on the spot assessment of the attacks perpetrated by gunmen against residents of Benue State, killing 151 people in communities.
Tinubu suspended the visit to Kaduna state for Benue following a protest embarked upon by residents who criticized the President for ignoring the victims for other states not under herdsmen attacks in the country.
This suspension of the Kaduna trip and the scheduled visit to Benue by the President was announced in a statement released on Monday by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
Onanuga explained that the President intends to personally assess the crisis and engage local stakeholders in search of lasting solutions.
President Tinubu had initially planned to visit Kaduna on Wednesday to inaugurate various projects undertaken by the state government but the trip has now been rescheduled to Thursday, June 19.
While in Benue, Tinubu will engage with various local stakeholders, including traditional rulers, political and religious leaders, and youth groups where open meetings will be allowed to promote open dialogue and work toward lasting peace in the region.
In preparation for his visit, top government officials have already been sent ahead to the state, to prepare locations for an engagement with residents in the state.
Among them are the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, the National Security Adviser, the Inspector General of Police, as well as heads of intelligence agencies and the National Assembly’s defence committees.
President Tinubu has earlier denounced the ongoing violence in Benue and has called on both citizens and leaders to embrace peace and reconciliation while also offering condolences to the families affected by the deadly attacks.
