Benue is bleeding
Everything we know about the Benue massacre
Last year, I visited the Kigali Genocide Memorial in Rwanda, and I still remember the gory images I saw. They weren’t just images, they were people with actual lives. I grew a different kind of hatred for violence that day. Now, I’m watching a dangerous campaign of violence unfold in a state close to me, and I don’t know how anyone can be quiet about this, especially a president.
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- Margaret
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Reading time ~ 5 mins
Let’s get into the news you missed during the weekend:
President Tinubu’s late comment on Benue massacre triggers protests
Trump has sent a strong message to Iran
The Big Deal
President Tinubu’s late comment on Benue massacre triggers protests
On Friday, June 13, a group of suspected herdsmen attacked Yelewata and Daudu communities in the Guma Local Government Area (LGA) of Benue State, killing about 200 people, including children.
President Tinubu’s convenient silence concerning the recurring wave of violence triggered outrage online and physically from Nigerians. On Sunday, June 15, Nigerian youths in Makurdi, Benue State capital, took to the streets to protest against the killings in the state.
One of the protesters, Solomon Amande, said Benue youths were furious about the deafening silence from President Bola Tinubu despite the brutal killings of children, women, and the elderly.
When the Deputy Governor, Sam Ode, tried to address the crowd, they flatly refused and asked him to go back and tell his boss to come and face them himself. And as is typical of Nigerian authorities during protests, armed policemen and soldiers were eventually dispatched to the scene, firing tear gas to stop the protests.
But in a surprising turn of events, the protesters stood their ground and insisted that they would not be silenced or intimidated. According to them, enough blood has been shed while those in power play the waiting game.
Even Governor Hyacinth Alia didn’t break his silence until earlier that Sunday when he released a statement that came from his Chief Press Secretary. In the statement, he mentioned that he shared in the grief of the people and was working with security agencies and local leaders to bring an end to the violence.
The statement also mentioned that tactical response teams from the federal government had begun arriving in Benue, and more reinforcements were expected.
Why is this a big deal?
We never thought the day would come when we’d need to teach a 70-something-year-old president empathy, but life has a humbling way of surprising us.
Citizens shouldn’t need to nudge the president to speak against the violence in his country before he does so. As unfortunate as it is, President Tinubu knows the importance of speaking up in situations like this and continues to ignore the truth.
In March 2025, the president declared a state of emergency in Rivers State to control the political crisis in the state. Even though Nigerians highly condemned this move, his defence was, “No good and responsible President will stand by and allow the grave situation to continue without taking remedial steps prescribed by the Constitution to address the situation in the state.”
For a state where over 6,896 people have been killed by gunmen since Tinubu became president, you’d think a “good and responsible” leader wouldn’t need protests or nationwide outrage before doing the barest minimum—speaking up and deploying military assistance to the affected regions. Yet, somehow, the President chose to take his sweet time before releasing an official statement on the matter.
Our hearts and prayers go out to the people of Benue during this difficult time, and we hope the violence ceases soon. For now, you can join Nigerians who are calling for justice and accountability on social media and support organisations that are providing humanitarian assistance to the affected Nigerians.
Trump has sent a strong message to Iran
If you’re chronically online, you should have seen the “Everyone will feel it” tweet by a parody Iranian military account. That account might not be real, but the words carry some sort of truth. Iran and Israel have had beef with each other for decades, but things took a different turn on Friday, June 13, after Israel launched an attack against Iran. And just when you think things couldn’t get worse, Donald Trump, never one to sit out a global crisis, has officially entered the chat.
On Sunday, June 15, Trump warned Iran that if it so much as lays a finger on the United States (US), it would face “the full strength” of the US military. He made sure to clarify that Washington had nothing to do with Israel’s strikes on Iran’s capital, Tehran, even though he admitted he knew about the operation beforehand. According to Iran, Israel’s Friday operation killed dozens, including senior army commanders and atomic scientists.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu isn’t backing down either. He has vowed to strike “every target of the ayatollah regime,” and Iran, in response, has fired back with a wave of deadly missiles, one of which hit the Israeli city of Bat Yam early Sunday morning.
This exchange has the potential to be a massive blood bath, but Donald Trump doesn’t think so. His reason? US. could “easily get a deal done” between Iran and Israel and end the bloodshed. But if we were you, we’d reduce our expectations to zero. He made a promise to be a global peacemaker and unifier when he was inaugurated in January. He even went as far as promising that he would make Ukraine a safer place in “two to three weeks,” and spoiler alert — none of that happened.
With world leaders choosing sides and pledging allegiance to the parties that suit them, it is clear this isn’t just Israel vs. Iran anymore.
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The Big Picks
It’s Possible US Gets Involved In Iran-Israel Conflict – Trump: President Donald Trump told a news network Sunday the United States could become involved in the Iran-Israel conflict, and that he would be “open” to his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin being a mediator.
Pope Leo Condemns Benue Killings, Prays For Victims: Pope Leo XIV has condemned the recent killings in Benue State, describing the incident as a “terrible massacre” in which mostly displaced civilians were murdered with “extreme cruelty”.
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Prayers are with Benue