Nigeria’s President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has shelved a preciously scheduled official visit to Kaduna State and would instead head to Benue on Wednesday, June 18, 2025, as part of renewed efforts to foster peace in the communities there.
The President is expected to hold a town hall meeting with all stakeholders during the visit.
He has come under criticism for sympathy messages to India over the plane crash killing 270 last week and for condemning Israel for attacking Iran, while his own country folks were being attacked and killed in their hundreds by Fulani herdsmen and local militia in Benue and Plateau states.
News of the President’s Wednesday visit came in a statement by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayi Onanuga on Monday.
According to Onanuga, the President by the visit aimed to assess firsthand the recurring crisis that has claimed numerous lives and caused significant destruction.
During his stay, President Tinubu will meet with all stakeholders—including traditional rulers, political, religious, community leaders, and youth groups—to seek lasting solutions to the hostilities.
In preparation for the visit, President Tinubu has already dispatched the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, the Inspector General of Police, heads of intelligence agencies, the National Security Adviser, and the Chairmen of the Senate and House Defence Committees to Benue State.
President Tinubu has previously condemned the ongoing violence in Benue State and called on all leaders and residents to embrace peace, love, and mutual understanding, even as he extended his heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims and to all those who have suffered losses as a result of the crisis.
According to his itinerary released over the weekend, President Tinubu was scheduled to visit Kaduna State on Wednesday to commission various state government projects. However, the official visit will now occur on Thursday, June 19, 2025.
