Popular Nigerian social commentator VeryDarkMan has openly criticized President Bola Ahmed Tinubu over his response to the recent massacre in Yelwata community, Guma Local Government Area of Benue State, where over 200 people were reportedly burnt alive in a violent herdsmen attack.
The tragedy, which has drawn global condemnation, was first spotlighted by Pope Leo, who described the incident as a “terrible massacre” and demanded justice for the victims.
In response, President Tinubu condemned the killings and urged the Benue State Government to begin a dialogue and reconciliation process with the attackers — a move that has sparked widespread backlash.
Reacting in a video shared online, VeryDarkMan condemned the President’s position, claiming it reflects the government’s inability to hold the perpetrators accountable and shows the attackers are operating beyond the reach of state power.
“Even from President Tinubu’s press release, you will know that these herdsmen are not done yet with Benue people,” he said.
“You want to dialogue with those that are burning people alive—people with barbaric ways. This is to tell you that they are even bigger than the President. That’s just the truth.”
The activist further accused Nigeria’s security agencies and leadership of complicity or negligence, questioning how armed attackers could mobilize and carry out such atrocities without detection or intervention.
“It will be clowning if the DG of DSS, IG of Police, or the Chief of Defense Staff says they don’t know what is going on,” he added.
“These attackers came with gallons of fuel and AK-47s—where did they pass through?”
VeryDarkMan also criticized public apathy, lamenting that the mass murder of 200 people barely made headlines until he traveled to the area and shared firsthand footage of the devastation.
“What scares me most is that a lot of you are used to the news of Benue killings. It didn’t trend, and no one talked about it,” he said.
Calling for armed self-defense, he urged Benue farmers and residents to obtain licensed firearms for protection, stating that the situation had outgrown the government’s capacity to intervene effectively.
“Every farmer in Benue needs to go and get a gun with a license. It’s bigger than what the government can come and intervene in at this point,” he asserted.
VeryDarkMan also joined Benue youths in a protest in Makurdi on Sunday, June 16, demanding justice, security, and an end to the persistent killings plaguing the state.
Despite federal promises to investigate and prosecute those responsible, critics argue that lack of accountability and repeated calls for dialogue have emboldened the attackers, leaving affected communities feeling abandoned and unprotected.
