Buhari not responsive to Benue's plight, says Suswam

Former Benue State governor, Dr Gabriel Suswam, has criticised President Muhammadu Buharis decision to visit Nasarawa State while he continues to resist calls to visit Benue where at least 80 people were killed in January.

While speaking to the media on Wednesday, February 7, 2018, Suswam said the president has failed to show proper concern for the people of Benue who have had to endure a spate of attacks allegedly carried out by cattle herders.

He said, "I am not in a position to comment on his visit (to Nasarawa) because I'm not in his party.

"Secondly, I know that as a president, he must have had his programme outlined for the year but that notwithstanding, the Benue case is an emergency.

"One would expect that a place that lost 73 People at once, he (Buhari) would have been more concerned about visiting such area.

"One would expect that a responsive government would have visited Benue to condole with the people over the gruesome murder of innocent lives."

"I have condemned the killing in totality. I already sent a message encouraging the governor to talk to people across party lines and I'm happy the president has reacted by asking that the perpetrators of the killings be arrested.

"I think he reacted as a result of the national condemnation of the killings. It's not good for a country to experience loss of lives like that."

President Buhari was in Nasarawa on Tuesday, February 6, for a 1-day working visit where he commissioned a series of projects including the Ta'al Model e-Library, the Comprehensive Special School and Model Primary Health Centre in Lafia.

Benue attacks

In attacks allegedly carried out by Fulani herdsmen in Guma and Logo Local Government Area of Benue between Sunday, December 31, 2017, and Tuesday, January 2, 2018, 50 people were reportedly killed.

11 other people were killed in a fresh attack on Tombu village of Logo LGA, again by suspected Fulani herdsmen, on Saturday, January 6.

The bodies of 73 men, women and children were buried at a mass burial ceremony organised by the state government on January 11.