WATCH: Makurdi Residents Clear Bushes Overnight Ahead of President Tinubu’s Visit After Yelewata Massacre

WATCH: Makurdi Residents Clear Bushes Overnight Ahead of President Tinubu’s Visit After Yelewata Massacre

In an unusual turn of events, residents of Makurdi, the Benue State capital, took to the streets late Tuesday night, hastily clearing overgrown grasses and bushes along major roads ahead of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s scheduled visit on Wednesday.

The hurried clearing efforts come in response to the President’s impending trip to the state following the recent massacre in Yelewata community, Guma Local Government Area, where over 200 people were reportedly killed in a brutal attack by suspected herdsmen.

Eyewitnesses described scenes of men wielding cutlasses and torches, working under the cover of darkness to tidy up the town. The urgency, many believe, reflects the state government’s last-minute attempt to present a cleaner, safer image to the President during his visit.

“Now everyone is scrambling in the middle of the night because the President is coming. People are dying, and the priority is image management?”

Makurdi has seen heightened activity in recent hours, with security patrols, increased movement of government officials and sporadic traffic as townsfolk prepare for the high-profile visit.

Read also: Benue govt declares public holiday ahead of president BAT visit

Critics have questioned the timing of the clean-up and the apparent neglect of rural communities that continue to suffer from violent attacks with little government presence or response.

Watch the video below to see how Makurdi residents are clearing bushes at night in preparation for President Tinubu’s visit.