Popular comedian, Efe Warriboy has berated Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia for declaring Wednesday, June 18, a public holiday to welcome President Bola Tinubu to the state amid statewide mourning over the recent Yelewata massacre.

Ekwutosblog reported that the Benue State government in a statement released on Tuesday by the Secretary to the State Government, Serumun Deborah Ambe, declared Wednesday a public holiday to honour Tinubu during his one-day visit to the state and urged residents to “come out en-masse” to welcome the president.

Reacting in a video message shared via his Instagram page, Efe Warriboy stated that Governor Alia’s declaration of a public holiday over the president’s visit to the state was a mockery of the bereaved people of Benue.

He said, “I’m trying my best not to be rude while making this video, but given this scenario, it would be difficult. What’s happening now in Benue State shows that regardless of your title, whether Reverend Father or Senior Pastor, once you hold power in Nigeria, a demon will enter inside you. That’s what I’ve noticed. And when you join APC, it gets worse. Even PDP, they are all the same.

“Just imagine the nonsense declaration of public holiday over President Tinubu’s first in Benue. The Governor is even supposed to be in a state of mourning and not telling people, who just lost their family members, to come and celebrate Tinubu’s visit.

“A man said in a viral video that he lost 20 family members. But the most important to the Governor is welcoming Tinubu. The president is supposed to sneak into the state and not expect heroic welcome. Is he coming to commission a project or dead bodies?

“What is wrong with you, Nigerian politicians? What Governor Alia is doing is simply playing politics with the lives of Benue people. He is trying not to do anything that will make his political overlords deny him his re-election ticket in 2027.

Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff, Christopher Musa, has highlighted three critical issues in the Yelewata town, Benue State, massacre by suspected herdsmen.

The CDS spoke when he visited Benue on Tuesday over the spark in killing at Benue communities.

According to him, there are three-pronged issues to the Benue crisis between farmers and herders, namely land dispute and cattle rustling.

He noted that a political solution is the best fix to the three issues.

“There are two or three issues.

“One is the issue of land. Indigenes or non-indigenes. It is critical. Which can be sorted out politically. Secondly is the issue of the movement of animals.

“If the animals don’t move, we don’t have an issue. We also have the issue of animal rustling. These are the critical aspects that must be addressed,” according to the Channels Television video.
This comes as over 300 people were killed in Yelewata town in the Guma Local Government Area of Benue State on June 13-14, 2025.

Governor Hyacinth Alia of Benue State has said the armed herders who attacked Yelewata in Guma Local Government Area of Benue State came through a river in the area.

Alia disclosed that the armed herders first attacked military and police checkpoints when they invaded the area.

Over 200 people were reportedly killed during an attack in Yelewata area of Benue State, a few days ago.

However, speaking on Arise Television’s Prime Time on Monday evening, Alia said the attack lasted for two hours.

He said: “It lasted for two hours, in Yelewata there is a military and police checkpoint.

“This is how it happened, the river is not too far by this axis, so we understand that they came by the round of the river.

“Now, they were pushed back from Apa and as they were moving towards Nasarawa State, Yelewata shares a border with Nasarawa State – it’s on their way to Nasarawa State that the heinous attack happened.

“When they got to this town, the first thing they did was to attack the military and police who usually man the road around there.

“They were pushed back so they ran back. They came in numbers as usual.”