Renowned Nigerian rapper and activist Folarin Falana, popularly known as Falz, has sharply criticized President Bola Ahmed Tinubu over the government’s delayed and inadequate response to the recent Benue State killings, which claimed the lives of over 200 people.

In a searing post on his official X (formerly Twitter) handle on Monday, June 16, 2025, Falz expressed outrage at what he described as the administration’s repeated failure to uphold its fundamental duty of securing lives and property.
“You have consistently shown that you are incapable of performing the primary duty of securing the lives and property of your citizens,” the rapper wrote. “This routine statement does not cut it.”
Falz’s statement comes amid national grief and widespread condemnation following the massacre in Yelwata, Guma Local Government Area of Benue, allegedly carried out by suspected herdsmen.
You have consistently shown that you are incapable of performing the primary duty of securing lives and property of your citizens. This routine statement does not cut it. https://t.co/1AAW1uflAl
— Bop Daddy (@falzthebahdguy) June 16, 2025
The victims, many of them displaced persons, were ambushed and slaughtered in one of the most horrifying attacks in recent years.
President Tinubu, whose silence in the immediate aftermath of the killings drew sharp criticism from citizens and public figures alike, eventually issued a statement declaring:
“Enough is enough! I have directed the security agencies to act decisively, arrest perpetrators of these evil acts on all sides of the conflict, and prosecute them.”
He also urged political and traditional leaders in Benue to desist from inflammatory remarks and tasked Governor Hyacinth Alia with leading reconciliation and peace efforts in the troubled state.
“Our people must live in peace, and it is possible when leaders across divides work together in harmony,” Tinubu added, calling for justice, fairness, and openness.
However, for many Nigerians, including prominent voices in music, civil society, and religious communities, the president’s words came too late. Critics argue that the federal government’s slow reaction reflects a deeper pattern of complacency and disconnect in the face of chronic violence across Nigeria’s Middle Belt and northern regions.
I have been briefed on the senseless bloodletting in Benue State.
Enough is enough! I have directed the security agencies to act decisively, arrest perpetrators of these evil acts on all sides of the conflict, and prosecute them.
Political and community leaders in Benue State…
— Bola Ahmed Tinubu (@officialABAT) June 15, 2025
Falz’s rebuke adds to a growing wave of public dissent, echoing earlier sentiments expressed by fellow entertainer 2Baba, who described the killings as a national emergency and pleaded for unity and decisive action.
Even Pope Leo XIV weighed in before President Tinubu, condemning the attack as a “horrifying slaughter” and urging international attention to the escalating crisis.
As public frustration deepens, calls for accountability, reform, and a renewed focus on national security continue to mount — and voices like Falz’s are increasingly impossible to ignore.