Tinubu’s Convoy Runs Into Floodwaters On Makurdi–Lafia Road
President Bola Tinubu’s convoy encountered severe flooding on the Makurdi–Lafia highway on Wednesday during his trip to Benue State for a condolence visit following recent deadly attacks in the state.
The flooding, which left numerous motorists stranded along the critical highway connecting Benue State to the Federal Capital Territory, forced the presidential convoy to slow down and navigate waterlogged sections of the road.
Social media posts seen by THE WHISTLER showed torrents of water overtaking long stretches of the highway, which links Benue State to the Federal Capital Territory.
Stranded travellers could be seen abandoning vehicles and walking through waterlogged sections of the road.
“Situation report: Flood along Makurdi-Lafia, Abuja road this morning. People travelling or with the intention to travel through Makurdi-Lafia Road should park and cancel the trip. The water on the road is moving even big vehicles,” a post by Follow Kwara on Facebook read.
Similarly, a video shared by TVC News captured what was said to be the president’s convoy slowly manoeuvring through the floodwaters on its way to Makurdi.
However, there was no visual confirmation that Tinubu was physically in the convoy at the time.
This comes just two days after Tinubu announced plans to visit Benue in response to mounting criticism over his silence in the wake of repeated, deadly attacks in the state.
The outrage followed the recent killing of over 200 residents in coordinated attacks across several communities in Benue state.
Among the critics was 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, who called out the president for not visiting Benue and Niger States, both of which have suffered significant casualties from gun violence and natural disasters in recent weeks.
Obi had contrasted Tinubu’s absence with the prompt responses of world leaders to similar crises.
The recent violence began with overnight attacks on Saturday, June 14, in Makurdi and Katsina-Ala local government areas, where at least 26 people were killed. Within hours, reports emerged of another large-scale massacre in the state, which pushed the death toll to well over 200.
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) confirmed on Monday, June 16, that more than 6,527 individuals have been displaced in multiple communities following the coordinated attacks by unidentified attackers.
THE WHISTLER reports that Benue has long been plagued by violent raids, which are often tied to longstanding land and ethnic disputes.
The scale and frequency of the current crisis have left many residents feeling abandoned by the federal government.
Tinubu’s Convoy Runs Into Floodwaters On Makurdi–Lafia Road is first published on The Whistler Newspaper
