Renowned political economist, Professor Pat Utomi, has launched a scathing critique of both Bola Tinubu and Benue State Governor Hyacinth Alia, accusing them of silent complicity in the brutal massacres unfolding in Benue.
In a passionate post on X today, Utomi challenged the leadership with a haunting question: “How many more people must die before we see Rwanda?”
He referenced the tragic loss of over 200 lives in Yelwata alone and warned that the nation’s moral fabric is at risk without decisive action.
Utomi drew chilling parallels to the Rwandan genocide, stressing that the government’s inaction amounts to abdication of responsibility.
“How many people will have to suffer… 200… 2000… 20k… before we know the state is AWOL or complicit?” he implored, condemning what he described as “an iron dome of silence” enveloping brutal propaganda while real lives were being extinguished.
Reflecting on a pivotal historical moment, Utomi recalled Pope John Paul II’s 1998 visit during Nigeria’s Abacha era, noting the Pope’s stirring words to bishops: “You have not been given the spirit of timidity.”
Utomi cautioned that Nigeria now stands at a similar crucible, calling on leaders, including Tinubu and Governor Alia, as well as religious and community figures, to reclaim the spirit of moral courage.
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He emphasised that “the measure of a society is in how it values human life,” decrying the repeated mass killings as symptomatic of a deeper national crisis.
Utomi lamented the lack of visible intervention from both the presidency and the Benue government, saying this silence only fuels the anguish of affected communities and undermines public trust.
While calling for immediate and decisive action, Utomi demanded rapid deployment of security forces, thorough investigations, transparent justice for victims, and national reckoning.
As the Benue tragedy continues, his voice is among a swelling chorus of demand for leadership before the bloodshed spirals beyond control.
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