Hundreds of Benue primary and secondary school pupils were lined along flooded roads in Makurdi, standing in pouring rain as passing cars drenched them while they chanted the national anthem to welcome President Bola Tinubu today, according to multiple videos shared on X and on Instagram. Children, already wet from the downpour, were repeatedly soaked by splashes from vehicles as they sang and drummed to greet the presidential convoy.
The scenes have sparked intense outrage on social media, with users condemning the move as tone-deaf, disrespectful, and insensitive. The timing particularly callous, given that Benue is still reeling from the massacre of over 200 civilians. Another clip featured children in drenched school uniforms singing the reintroduced anthem “Nigeria, We Hail Thee,” despite the heavy rainfall and their evident discomfort, as army vehicles passed them by, soaking them with water.
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