Uromi Killing: Controversy Trails Okpebholo’s Kano Visit

Governor Okpebholo’s visit to Kano following the Uromi killings has ignited controversy, with many questioning why similar gestures weren’t made after past tragedies in the South.

The visit by Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo to Kano State, following the tragic killing of 16 northern travelers in Uromi, has sparked a nationwide debate on the consistency of government response to violent incidents across Nigeria.

Arise TV host and media personality, Rufai Oseni, questioned the disparity in reactions to such tragedies, highlighting previous incidents that, according to him, did not receive similar high-level attention.

Oseni remarked, “When people were killed in the church in Ondo. Did we get any delegation to Ondo? You can correct me if I am wrong. Who has gone to visit the families of people killed in Benue? Has the governor of Edo state gone to visit the people being kidnapped in Uromi? I condemn the killing of the 16 in Uromi and their killers must face the law!”

These comments refer to several past incidents:

– Owo Church Attack (June 2022): Gunmen attacked St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, during a Pentecost Sunday service, killing over 40 worshippers. Despite the magnitude of the attack, no significant delegation from the federal government or other state governors visited the victims’ families.

– Benue State Killings (April 2022): Armed herdsmen attacked multiple villages in Benue State, killing over 25 people. Local residents protested by blocking highways with the bodies of the slain. However, there were no prominent reports of delegations from other state governments visiting the affected communities.

Oseni’s remarks have generated heated reactions across social media, with many questioning the selective nature of government responses:

– @YayaOseni: “What are you trying to say? Are you justifying mob action on those people? You must be kidding me..”

– @frknasir: “I agree that justice must be served for the tragic killings in Uromi, but let’s also ask—what happened to doing the right thing? Governor Okpebholo traveled to Kano to console the families of the 16 northern travelers killed. If he’s the first to make such a gesture, isn’t he setting a precedent?”

– @IgboCommunityNR: “So terrible in Nigeria under Tinubu’s government. Everything has turned upside down.”

– @blochief: “Every elite and politician from the south always want to please the north who don’t care about them.”

– @Ozorife: “Southern leaders are to be held responsible for neglecting their people’s lives because of political gains. The Northern leaders are doing what every responsible leader who values lives and safety of their people should do.”

– @Olubanki: “The south is the slaughterhouse, the north is the anointed. Our country is very bad, there’s no other simple term to describe it.”

– @Abidoye30: “The governor made a very good decision. A Kano retaliation attack can be deadly beyond imagination. I was in Kano for 9 years and I know what I am talking about.”

– @johnokoro1: “When Gideon Akaluka was beheaded in Kano, was there a delegation? When Mrs. Edith Chioma Agbahime was also beheaded, who visited the family? Or most recently Deborah Samuel? Let them keep quiet.”

– @edoyakulo: “We should stop condemning the Edo incident; rather, we should focus on condemning the enablers of the incident, which is the government, both state and federal.”

– @GaladimaCarl: “Wow, Rufai, this is too dull for a journalist like you. These are two distinct events. In Ondo at that time, it was just speculations that the attackers were herdsmen. Investigation later revealed they were Ebira from Kogi and were arrested. This is a case of the people vs. people.”

– @charlesfemi9: “A king was killed in Ekiti by Fulani herdsmen. Did any delegate visit Ekiti from the North? Make thunder fire Okpebholo and those useless hypocritical Northern leaders he went to visit. Useless, evil people.”

The range of reactions shows deep frustration among Nigerians over perceived inequalities in governmental responses to tragedies. While some commend Governor Okpebholo’s visit to Kano as a step towards national unity, others believe it exposes a longstanding pattern of selective empathy by political leaders.

This debate raises critical questions about the Nigerian government’s approach to handling tragedies across different regions. Many citizens are demanding a more balanced and consistent response to crises, ensuring that all Nigerian lives, regardless of ethnicity or location, are treated with the same level of urgency and respect.

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