The 2023 presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Adewole Adebayo, has called on President Bola Tinubu to take full responsibility for last Friday's deadly attack on Benue communities that claimed the lives of at least 200 people.
Speaking during an interview on Channels Television's Sunrise Daily, Adebayo did not mince words in his criticism of the President's handling of the security situation.
"The basic thing is that if you realize that those people died because of you, because you are the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, you are the one running the police, running the Armed Forces. If you had done your duty, the people working for you, in uniform and out of uniform, had done their duty – that thing would not have happened," Adebayo stated.
Leadership Accountability in Crisis
The former presidential candidate emphasized that the President needs to prioritize meeting with affected families and receiving proper briefings about the situation on the ground.
"So first thing you do is to take responsibility, and then you let your protocol people know that I'm going to this event. I'm going only with people who are relevant to security and the local people there, okay, and as we are going make sure that you have given me sufficient briefing about the families who lost their relatives," he added.
The massacre, which occurred last Friday, has sparked outrage across the nation, with many questioning the government's ability to protect citizens in vulnerable communities.
This criticism comes amid reports that victims in Idoma-speaking areas of Benue State have allegedly been neglected in relief efforts, further complicating the humanitarian response to the crisis.
The Benue attacks represent one of the deadliest incidents of communal violence in recent years, highlighting ongoing security challenges in Nigeria's Middle Belt region.
Stay updated on this developing story by following BenriNews on our social media platforms:
