Benue people gave the president a cold welcome.
Going by pictures shared online, it seems the arrival of President Buhari to Benue State didn’t generate excitement like his visits to Plateau and Kano. The president his visiting to meet with stakeholders concerning the security of lives and properties in the state, which have all been threatened due to the activities of killer Fulani Herdsmen.
Below is a post and pictures shared by Pat Hyua on Facebook. He claims Benue people gave the president a cold welcome.
”Are Benue people talking to President Buhari already?
The convoy you are watching is that of President Buhari entering the Peoples Government House, Makurdi.
There are no people in the streets to wave or welcome Mr. President. This may hardly be unconnected with the killings in Benue State by Fulani herdsmen viz a viz the poor handling or response by the presidency. I can not explain the level of anger that leads to this cold reception, but I can tell you the streets are filled to the brims, but with security men.
The young, not so young, the old, and not so old men and women that occupied the streets of Makurdi in 2015 when the same man visited Benue have disappeared?
I don’t really know what it is, but many accredited journalists are advised not to even stay within the premise of the People’s House Makurdi, this is quite strange…
Could this be the diminishing popularity of the President in Benue?”
The Nigerian Army had said last month that it will begin Exercise Ayem Akpatuma covering Benue, Taraba, Kogi, Nasarawa, Kaduna and Niger states in order to tackle the cases of kidnappings, herdsmen/farmers’ clashes among others.
The Chief of Training and Operations, Maj Gen David Ahmadu, who announced this in Abuja on behalf of the Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Tukur Buratai, said the exercise would run from February 15 to March 31, 2018.
Peace is yet to be restored in Benue as it is preparing to hold another mass burial which was postponed due to the president’s visit.
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