Public outrage continues to grow following the killing of over 200 people in Benue State, as many Nigerians take to social media to condemn what they described as a slow and insufficient response from the federal government, particularly from President Bola Tinubu.

Even though Tinubu spoke out on Sunday, people say his words are not enough, and they are now calling for a state of emergency in the state.

The president, in a statement released by his spokesman Bayo Onanuga on Sunday, described the killings as “very depressing,” “inhuman,” and “anti-progress.”

Tinubu said he had ordered security chiefs, intelligence agencies, the police, and the military to act decisively and bring those responsible to justice.

“The latest news of wanton killings in Benue State is very depressing. We must not allow this bloodletting to continue unabated. Enough is now enough,” Tinubu stated.

“I have directed the security agencies to act decisively and arrest perpetrators of these evil acts on all sides of the conflict and prosecute them.”

Despite this, many Nigerians remain unimpressed. They question why a state of emergency was not declared in Benue, especially given the scale of the killings. Some pointed to what they see as double standards in the federal government’s response to crises.

Many referenced the recent political crisis in Rivers State, where a state of emergency was declared despite no reported deaths. They compared this to the government’s hesitation in responding to the mass killings in Benue.

One X user wrote, “Over 200 Nigerians were killed in Benue, no state of emergency has been declared — not even a word from the presidency after 48 hours. But a small dispute between Wike and his boy led to an immediate state of emergency. We can’t make reconciliation with terrorists and see peace!”

Another critic added, “Over 200 Nigerians were massacred in Benue and no state of emergency has been declared. The presidency hasn’t even addressed the incident 48hrs after.

But a minor misunderstanding occurred between a boy and his Oga in PH and a state of emergency was declared. Na country be this?”

A third user wrote, “This man is probably the worst president in the history of this country. No empathy whatsoever. Declared a State of Emergency to secure his oil revenues, but kept mute for 48 hours only to spew rubbish afterwards. What a useless country. Lives of innocent children wasted.”

Another wrote, “The Nigerian government deployed an extreme and arguably illegal military state of emergency solution to a political issue that had no loss of life and didn’t threaten security in Rivers, then is pushing a political solution to an extreme case of violence and bloodbath in Benue.” (The Guardian)

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