Social media has erupted in outrage after multiple videos surfaced showing schoolchildren standing by the roadside in the rain to welcome President Bola Tinubu’s convoy as it passed through Makurdi, Benue on Wednesday.
The children, whose faces were blurred for privacy, were seen singing the Nigerian national anthem while drenched in rainwater. The state government had declared a public holiday to mark the president’s visit, yet the pupils were still made to line the streets.
Tinubu arrived in Benue following a series of brutal attacks in Yelewata community, Guma Local Government Area, where more than 100 residents were recently killed. The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) reports that over 6,500 people have been displaced across the state due to the escalating violence.
Despite the sombre backdrop, the sight of children being used for ceremonial display in such conditions has sparked widespread condemnation online.
‘Yemi Adamolekun, Executive Director of Enough is Enough (EiE) Nigeria, labelled the incident “a crime,” urging religious and civic leaders to intervene. “Is there no one in Benue that can go and get those children? A Bishop; an Imam? Parents? National Human Rights Commission??? What is wrong with us??” she posted on X.
Others echoed her outrage. X user Joseph Anyaa accused the government of running a “slavery system,” while another user, Latent, described the incident as “political wickedness.”
Many are questioning the judgment of both local authorities and presidential handlers in allowing such a spectacle during a time of mourning in the state.
