Former Governor of Benue State, Gabriel Suswam, has lambasted President Muhammadu Buhari for not visiting the state, following the alleged attacks by Fulani herdsmen.

Speaking with newsmen yesterday in Makurdi, the state capital, the former governor said Buhari should have visited Benue first to commiserate with the government and people of the state over the loss of many innocent lives.

According to Suswam, “I am not in a position to comment on his visit (to Nasarawa) because I’m not in his party. Secondly, I know that as a President, he must have had his programme outlined for the year but that notwithstanding, the Benue case is an emergency.

“One would expect that a place that lost 73 People at once, he (Buhari) would have been more concerned about visiting such area. One would expect that a responsive government would have visited Benue to condole with the people over the gruesome murder of innocent lives.

“I have condemned the killing in totality. I already sent a message encouraging the governor to talk to people across party lines and I’m happy the President has reacted by asking that the perpetrators of the killings be arrested.

“I think he reacted as a result of the national condemnation of the killings. It’s not good for a country to experience loss of lives like that.”