Yelewata Massacre: Benue declares work-free day ahead of Tinubu’s visit

The Benue State Government has declared Wednesday, June 18, a public holiday to prepare for the official visit of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, following the gruesome killing of more than 200 residents in Yelewata community, Guma Local Government Area.

This was announced in a statement issued on Tuesday in Makurdi by the Secretary to the State Government, Mrs Deborah T. A. Aber.

According to the statement, the work-free day is declared “in honour of Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, who is scheduled for a one-day visit to the state.”

President Tinubu is expected to commiserate with survivors and families of those killed in the recent spate of violence, widely blamed on armed Fulani herdsmen operating in the North Central region.

The state government noted that the holiday is intended to “ensure a massive turnout of Benue citizens in receiving Mr President and his entourage.”

Workers in essential sectors such as healthcare, security, and banking are exempted from the directive and are to report for duty as usual.

The President’s visit follows a wave of coordinated attacks in Yelewata, where suspected herdsmen reportedly slaughtered over 200 people and displaced many more.

In light of the crisis, the Federal Government had postponed a previously scheduled visit by President Tinubu to Kaduna, instead prioritising Benue.

Benue State has long been a flashpoint for deadly clashes between farmers and herders, with repeated calls from state authorities for more robust federal intervention and long-term security measures.

Residents have been urged to turn out in large numbers to receive the President as he visits the state in the wake of one of its deadliest attacks in recent memory.