‘Don’t Urinate On Their Graves’ — Ex-Tinubu Aide Warns Alia Over Fanfare Amid Killings

A former spokesman for President Bola Tinubu’s marketing campaign within the South-East, Josef Onoh, has warned of the Benue State authorities’s choice to stage a festive and colourful welcome for the President amid nationwide and worldwide outrage over a latest bloodbath within the state.

Onoh described the deliberate fanfare as “a grave insult to the souls of the harmless victims” of the Yelwata and Daudu massacres, which claimed the lives of over 200 residents in Guma Native Authorities Space simply days earlier than the President’s scheduled go to.

“At a time when all the nation and the world are enraged by the horrific killings in Benue, the state authorities’s choice to mobilize residents for a festive reception is just not solely inappropriate however an insult to the souls of the victims and to humanity itself,” Onoh mentioned in a strongly worded assertion.

The President is anticipated to go to Makurdi at this time, however as an alternative of making ready for a solemn event of reflection and dedication to safety, the Benue State authorities has issued a directive for what it calls a “rousing and vibrant welcome.”

A letter dated June 17, 2025, and signed by Francis U. Ngutswen, Senior Particular Assistant on Particular Teams Mobilization to Governor Hyacinth Alia, instructed residents to come back out en masse and take part in a “colourful shoulder-to-shoulder unfold/procession” from the airport by the Wurukum Roundabout to the Authorities Home in Makurdi.

The directive included logistics for accreditation by group numbers and colors, suggesting an organized parade with festive undertones.

This transfer has provoked widespread outrage, notably amongst residents nonetheless grieving the latest killings, lots of whom are displaced and protesting the federal government’s failure to guard them.

“We don taya, we dey helpless, we don turn into weak, we dey damaged, we dey powerless as a result of authorities no dey assist us,” one protester in Benue was heard chanting throughout a latest demonstration, holding inexperienced leaves as a logo of peace and mourning.

“The blood of the harmless cries out for justice, but the federal government is extra involved with staging a parade than making certain the perpetrators are dropped at guide,” he mentioned.

“This isn’t the time for celebration. This isn’t the time for vibrant shows. It is a time for nationwide mourning, a time to ask ourselves laborious questions, and to demand solutions.”

Onoh, son of the late Christian Onoh and a vocal political determine in his personal proper, lamented that the federal government seems extra invested in optics than substance.

He mentioned the fanfare dangers sending the improper message each to grieving Nigerians and to the worldwide group observing the deteriorating safety scenario in Nigeria’s Center Belt.

He additional echoed the considerations raised by Amnesty Worldwide, which not too long ago criticized Nigeria’s response to mass killings as “woefully insufficient” and “failing to satisfy the wants of affected communities.”

“The go to of the President must be a chance for sober reflection and actionable dedication — not one other political spectacle that mocks the ache of the individuals,” Onoh added.

He urged Governor Alia to right away retract the mobilization directive, refocus the President’s go to on humanitarian assist and safety dialogue, and prioritize the households of the slain.

“The state must be rallying assist for the displaced, offering medical help to survivors, and coordinating with federal authorities to stop additional bloodshed — not turning the Governor’s Lodge right into a parade floor,” Onoh mentioned.