Outrage as Benue women, youths dance on graves of herdsmen victims

While blood still stains the soil in parts of Benue State and hospitals overflow with survivors of recent herdsmen attacks, a controversial rally in Makurdi has sparked nationwide outrage.

On Thursday, as Nigeria marked Democracy Day, a group of youths and women—under the banner of pro-Tinubu and pro-Alia support groups—took to the streets of Makurdi in a show of political loyalty. The demonstrators danced, chanted, and waved placards bearing messages of solidarity for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Benue State Governor, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia, calling for their re-election in 2027.

The rally climaxed at the roundabout leading to the Government House, where the group hoped to be addressed by Governor Alia. But their timing has drawn sharp criticism.

Just hours before the parade, gun-wielding herders had unleashed yet another wave of violence in Makurdi. The deadly overnight raids on Mtsewnem and Akondutyough villages in the North Bank area left scores of residents dead and many others injured.

At the Benue State University Teaching Hospital, the bloodshed prompted an emergency call for blood donors to help save lives.

In the face of this tragedy, the celebratory rally appeared to many as tone-deaf. Critics say it insulted the memories of the slain and ignored the pain of grieving families.

“It’s heartbreaking to see our people rallying for politics while others are burying their dead,” said Mrs. Helen Aondofa, a Makurdi resident whose cousin was killed in the attack. “This is not the Benue spirit.”

While supporters of the rally insist that their actions were a demonstration of hope and faith in leadership, others see it as a symbol of disconnect—between political loyalty and the reality on the ground.