President Bola Tinubu has postponed his scheduled visit to Kaduna State to embark on a more urgent trip to Benue State, where renewed violence has claimed multiple lives and displaced communities.
The president will now visit Benue on Wednesday, June 18, 2025, in what the Presidency described as a determined step toward restoring peace and addressing the deepening humanitarian crisis in the state.
In a statement released Monday, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said Tinubu’s visit is aimed at gaining firsthand insight into the recurring conflict that has plagued several communities across Benue.
“President Tinubu will engage directly with key stakeholders, including traditional rulers, political leaders, religious figures, community representatives, and youth groups, in search of sustainable solutions to the violence,” Onanuga noted.
Ahead of the visit, the president has dispatched a high-powered delegation comprising the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, the Inspector General of Police, heads of intelligence agencies, the National Security Adviser, and chairmen of the Senate and House Committees on Defence to Benue State to set the stage for his arrival.
During the visit, the President is expected to convene a town hall meeting to facilitate open dialogue among affected communities and stakeholders.
Tinubu has consistently condemned the killings in Benue and other parts of the country, urging Nigerians to embrace peace, tolerance, and national unity.
He has also extended condolences to the families of victims and those impacted by the crisis.
As a result of the schedule change, the President’s planned trip to Kaduna State, originally set for June 18 to commission key government projects, will now take place on Thursday, June 19, 2025.
Recall that over 200 persons were brutally murdered in escalating conflict around Gouma Local Government and other parts of Benue State.
The brutal killings resulted in protests in some parts of the state as some alleged the absence of adequate response by security personnel while the attacks were ongoing.
