Videos have surfaced on social media showing some pupils standing by the roadside in the rain to welcome the convoy of President Bola Tinubu to Benue.
In the multiple videos, the children’s faces were blurred out for privacy as they sang the Nigerian anthem while the president’s motorcade passed through Markurdi.
Tinubu arrived in Benue on Wednesday following the recent deadly attack that left more than 100 people dead in Yelewata community, Guma LGA in the state.
The incident in Yelewata was the latest in a series of coordinated attacks by gunmen that, according to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), have displaced more than 6,527 people across Benue.
The school children were out on the street despite the state government declaring a public holiday to “honour” the president’s visit.
The clips of the pupils singing in the rain sparked backlash from Nigerians across social media, particularly on X.
‘Yemi Adamoleku, the executive director of Enough is Enough (EiE) Nigeria, said it is a “crime” to have children wait on the president under such circumstances.
“This is a crime!!!! Is there no one in Benue that can go and get those children? A Bishop; an Imam? Parents? National Human Rights Commission??? What is wrong with us??” she wrote.
Joseph Anyaa, another X user, said Nigeria is operating a “slavery system of government”, adding that “I’ve never seen a government this useless”.
Another X user who identifies as Latent described the videos as “political wickedness”.
