Dele Farotimi Accuses Tinubu Govt of Downplaying Mass Killings in Nigeria
Human rights lawyer and activist, Dele Farotimi, has criticised the President Bola Tinubu-led Nigerian government for downplaying the mass killings across parts of the country.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Hard Copy on Friday, Farotimi insisted that the violence amounts to genocide, not the so-called “farmer-herder clashes.”
He accused the authorities of deliberately whitewashing atrocities that have drawn global attention, including remarks from U.S. President Donald Trump.
Farotimi said the government hides behind misleading narratives to avoid accountability, noting that the scale, coordination, and targeted nature of the killings make it clear Nigeria is facing a campaign of extermination.
“You are calling genocide farmers-herders clash — what nonsense,” he said.
“How can a farmer who owns nothing be clashing with somebody carrying a Kalashnikov and M-16 rifles? And they are calling it a farmers-herders clash. You even find government persons peddling that idiocy.”
He added that authorities are ignoring the reality of widespread killings while concealing the truth under misleading labels.
“Let us deal with the reality that has been painted for us. Some of us have held up mirrors for a while, showing Nigeria the fact of its ugly nudity, but it refused to change,” he said.
Farotimi said the government’s denial has now been exposed by external voices drawing attention to the situation.
“Now someone outside is telling them the truth; the truth is not devalued in the tongue of a liar,” he stated.
“The question is, has Donald Trump lied about the killings? Maybe you don’t like the fact that he has called it a genocide, which is a very political word to use. But it doesn’t change the fact that unacceptable casualties are being recorded within a country that proclaims itself to be at peace.”
The activist lamented that even as people are being buried in mass graves, official attention remains focused on semantics rather than accountability.
“People are being buried in mass graves, and we are still quarrelling over what name Donald Trump called it. I don’t need Trump to tell me what I have seen and heard. I have been using the word genocide to describe what is happening in Nigeria for close to 10 years,” he said.
Farotimi also accused elements within the government of complicity, saying they are aware of the killings but choose silence.
“They don’t need Trump to tell them what is happening in their country; they are complicit in what is happening,” he added.
“These are persons exercising the powers of impunity extended by the Nigerian state and the assurance that nothing will happen, so they can do as they please.”
Titilope Adako is a talented and intrepid journalist, dedicated to shedding light on the untold stories of Osun State and Nigeria. Through incisive reporting, she tackles a broad spectrum of topics, from politics and social justice to culture and entertainment, with a commitment to accuracy, empathy, and inspiring positive change.
