Investigative journalist, Fisayo Soyombo, has strongly condemned the decision to line up school children in the rain to welcome President Bola Tinubu during his visit to Benue State on Wednesday, describing the act as a “national abnormality.”
In a statement posted on his verified Facebook page on Wednesday morning, Soyombo lashed out at the President, the Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia, and the wider Nigerian leadership for what he termed a disturbing display of insensitivity, especially given the purpose of the visit — to condole with the people of Benue following the mass killing of over 200 residents in recent violent attacks.
“Any country where pupils get lined up on the streets, much less in the rain, to welcome a president on a supposed condolence visit after the killing of over 200 citizens is not a normal country,” he wrote.
Soyombo further stated, “Any president who allows this is not a normal president; any state governor who allows this is not normal too.”
He described the incident as “an abnormality of the most abhorrent class,” emphasizing that such a spectacle should never have occurred, especially in the context of national mourning.
The journalist’s comments come amid public outrage and growing criticism over what many view as the government’s lack of empathy in responding to escalating violence and humanitarian crises across the country.
“This was one of those things that should never happen,” Soyombo concluded.
