•Real reasons terrorists turned state into theatre of tears and sorrow
By Henry Umahi
At the sight of guns at a venue where Saturday Sun was scheduled to meet some of the survivors of the recent attacks on some villages and communities in Plateau State, little Francis Akpa became hysterical and began to scream. At first, nobody knew why the four-year-old boy suddenly became agitated and sobbed uncontrollably.
But when his uncle, Wayi Saleh, probed persistently, Francis pointed in the direction of two policemen carrying guns. It was that sight of the policemen and their guns that brought back sad memories of the attack on the house in which he was taking refuge with his parents, siblings and others on April 14, 2025.
The gun-slinging policemen reminded Francis of the night that terrorists killed 12 persons in his presence, including his mother and siblings. In fact, he narrowly missed death that night. He was still bearing a plaster on his right arm that was grazed by a bullet. Obviously, Francis had sustained physical and psychological damage.
Francis’ father, Mr. Monday Akpa, could not come out for the interview with Saturday Sun on April 29, 2025 because he was still in deep trauma and agony. In fact, since the incident, he has been so traumatised that he appears not to be stable. His enthusiasm about life seems to be ebbing away.
Tales of horror
Francis’ uncle, Wayi Saleh, lamented that his brother and family ran away from home when they heard that their community would be attacked. Unfortunately, his brother and family, as well as their host, were attacked in their place of refuge. Twelve persons were killed in that single incident.
Saleh said: “I’m from Kishicho, a border community between Kaduna and Plateau states. We have been hearing rumours that Fulani men were going to attack some villages around us.
“Whenever we had rumours of attacks like that, we would move our people to Kwall town for safety. So, it was on April 14, 2025, my brother took his wife and children to Kwall, leaving us, the men, in the village. Unfortunately, where they went for safety was where the attacks took place around 12am at Zike community of Kwall.
“This unfortunate incident makes me feel very bad because my elder brother’s family was involved. This girl with us here, Lami David, is one of the survivors of the attack. Her father died in 2024 of tuberculosis and her mother had been the one taking care of them. But the attackers came and killed her mother and her younger brother. At 10, she has no one again and she has not been going to school because there is no teacher in her school.”
The orphan, Lami David, narrated: “On that faithful night, we were inside the room sleeping and we heard gunshots. Then we locked the door and hid under the bed. The gunmen broke the door, entered inside the room and started shooting.
“We didn’t know what was happening. I felt I was shot by the side of my stomach, but I didn’t talk. But this our other brother here, Francis, was also hit by a bullet and he started crying.
“We didn’t know what was the fate of our mother. It was after the gunmen left and people came to check. They pulled us out and took us to the hospital.
“It was from there that I later heard that my mother and brother were killed, and we started crying but people told us to stop crying, that God is the one that will raise us, that we shouldn’t worry.”
For nine-year-old, Friday Monday, it was also a night he would never forget. About two weeks after the attack, he was still confused, always looking vacantly into space.
He said: “We were sleeping when we heard gunshots. We ran inside the room and the gunmen broke into the room. Then they started shooting at my mother while we were hiding under the bed.
“After they finished and left, people came to check those who were killed. That was when we came out and told people that they killed our people. When they came and saw my wounded sister and brother, they took them to the hospital.”
Mrs Asabe Moses is in emotional and physical turmoil. Inside her is a heartache no one can possibly heal, as gunmen wreaked havoc in her household. Her husband and two children were burnt alive and another son was slaughtered like an animal.
Speaking through an interpreter in Jos, she said: “We were sleeping on the night of Sunday, April 14, 2025 and suddenly we started hearing noise, and the sound of guns. All our windows were surrounded by gunmen and they were all shooting sporadically into our house. We managed to hide somewhere inside the house.
“As we were hiding, some of the gunmen were trying to force the door open and they eventually broke the door. When they entered inside the room, they found my 14-year-old son who was sleeping. Then the boy woke up and started asking, who are those in the room. They started beating the boy and took him outside.
“Then they slaughtered him like an animal. We were inside hearing them, slaughtering him like a goat. The boy was crying and after sometime, his voice ceased. They also macheted him on the head. And the innocent boy died.
“We were still inside the house but they didn’t enter again. The next thing the gunmen did was to set fire on the building. My husband, my 10-year-old son and my two-year-old son were burnt inside the house.
“We were hiding somewhere and heat was not that much where we were. But my mother in-law, my six-year-daughter and I were badly burnt. We were taken to hospital where we got treatment. But the pains are unbearable.”
But there’s some form of good news for Asabe: Her 19-year-old son was out of town the night the men from the pit of hell invaded the community. He escaped death or injury by happenstance.
Asabe further said: “There is a security post close to our village, Zikke Kwall District in Bassa Local Government area, and when the attack was going on, we could hear the sound of their drones hovering around.
“But they could not go to where the attackers were. The drones were hovering around the place our people were hiding. We don’t know why they did that. And even when the attack was going on, the security men did nothing to repel them.
“The security men were there but they didn’t do anything to help us until when the attackers had left. That was when we saw the security men coming in. We were confused, wondering if the security men were also afraid of the attackers. The question is, if they were afraid, why did they set off the drones to follow us instead of following the attackers so that they can see their faces?”
Alice’s mother in-law, Madam Talatu Bala, was in profound shock and pain when the reporter encountered her. Apart from losing her son and grandchildren during the attack, she narrowly escaped being roasted alive when their house was set ablaze by the rampaging attackers. She sustained serious burns in various parts of her body, particularly her left arm and thigh.
Another survivor, Alice Stephen lost her husband and three sons as well as one of her hands. Another of her sons is still battling for his life at the hospital at the time the reporter visited. The attackers struck his head with a machete and left him for dead.
According to Ambassador Ezekiel Peter Bini, National President, Irigwe Youth Movement and chairman, Indigenous Ethnic Youth Nationalists, Plateau State, “when the attackers wanted to strike Alice’s head with a machete, she used her hand to protect her head. The machete landed on her right wrist, cutting it of off.”
So, while the world celebrated Easter, 52 persons, who were killed by terrorists, were given a mass burial. On April 2, 2025, 50 people were killed in Plateau, 383 houses burnt and 1,800 displaced.
On April 21, 2025, Timothy James Wolo, 33, and two others were attacked at their farms at Te’egbe village in Miango district of Bassa. Only Wolo came back but with grievous injuries. He was still at the hospital as at May 5, 2025.
Long list of gory killings
Over the years, Plateau State has witnessed cycles of violence, resulting in the death of thousands of people and wanton destruction of property. According to a report, “the frequency of these deadly attacks demonstrates the government’s failure to ensure safety and security in the region.”
During the 2023 Christmas period, a major attack occurred in 62 Plateau villages. Over 257 deaths were recorded, but no one was brought to book.
It has been a long list of gory killings. Datelines include 1994, 2001, 2005, 2010, 2023 and 2015, among others.
According to Human Rights Watch, the conflicts in Plateau State since 2001 have claimed more than 7, 000 lives, adding that up to 220,000 have been displaced.
Only on Sunday May 4, no fewer than six people were reported killed in a fresh attack by gunmen in Marit village and the Gashish District of Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau State., sparking outrage and renewed calls for improved security.
The attack, which occurred around 8:11 pm on that Sunday in Kakuruk village, Gashish District, was confirmed by the National President of the Berom Youth Moulders Association, Solomon Dalyop. He listed some of the victims as Mr Nyam Davou, 44, Mrs Kande Thoma, 40, and her six-month-old baby. He added that a seven-year-old girl and three women were seriously injured in the attack.
On April 16, 26 cattle were allegedly poisoned in Mangu LGA. According to Musa Muhammad, secretary of MACBAN in Mangu, the cattle were grazing when the poisoning occurred around 1:30pm.
He accused the Muwagvle youth group of being behind the poisoning, but the group’s spokesperson, Satmak Bala, said it was a baseless claim.
One of the survivors of the July 15, 2023 attack, Mrs Rebecca Zafaniya, from Fungzai village of Mangu LGA disclosed that one of the gunmen was one of their neighbours, claiming that after killing someone, the gunman later paid a condolence visit to the man whose son he killed.
Rebecca told Saturday Sun: “Those they killed, including children, were 33 people, at a spot. And those that did this are the Fulani in our area who I know. I am very sure of those people because we have been living together in harmony before this unfortunate situation.
“Look, we do give one another things, even on credit, and because I have a patent medicine shop, many of them usually come for their treatment in my place. They often grind their grains in our house.
“I have never in my life thought that this people whom we lived peacefully with and had cordial relationship with will ever harm us like this. I was surprised to see that the person that killed the owner of a car before my very eyes, came on condolence visit to the father of the man he killed.”
New levels of bestiality
Investigations revealed that for the over two decades of crises on the Plateau, the dimensions are changing. For instance, Mrs Asabe Moses’ son was brought out of their home and slaughtered like an animal.
On August 24, 2023, 60-year-old Dara Paul Deme was tied to a tree and slaughtered in his farm at Ragassa village of Barkin-Ladi Local Government Area. His son, Paul Deme, told Saturday Sun: “On August 24, 2023, our late father went to the farm but could not come back early as it used to be. We had to go to the farm to know exactly what happened to him because it was unusual of him.
“I was so disturbed and felt he might have been injured and probably needed help. So, that night I summoned courage and pleaded with some of our youths and we moved down to the farm. Upon arrival, we saw how my father was tied with a cow rope and had already been slaughtered.
“I still have the rope they used to tie my father with. Anytime I look at the rope, it reminds me of how my father was killed.
“That night, we moved the body immediately because there was no security personnel with us. The following day we went back to the farm to further see what really happened to him for ourselves. We saw how cows destroyed everywhere, they destroyed the farm.”
The national president of Gassa Youth Association, Mr Pam Bulus Dung, expressed fear that the new dimension of killings in Ragassa community of Barkin-Ladi signalled another trend of crime, possibly introduced by strange elements with new ideologies.
He said: “For the first time, we witnessed the slaughtering of human beings on the farm in our community. The slaughtering of Dara Deme like a goat was shocking and a signal to us that something new is coming.
“That was a new trend of killings: you tied somebody with a rope and slaughtered him. We only see this in movies. How are we sure that is not ISWAP elements that have come, because if you look at the nature of Deme’s killing, it is their trend of killing.”
Meanwhile, operatives of Operation SAFE HAVEN (OPSH) on the ongoing Operation LAFIYAN JAMA’A recently disclosed the arrest of two suspected members of the Islamic State’s West Africa Province (ISWAP) – Abdulkadir Dalhatu, 25, and Ubaidu Hassan, 25 – posing as tailors in Plateau State.
The media and information officer of the special force, Major Samson Nantip Zhakom, said: “The arrested suspects were mandated by ISWAP commander to use the cover of tailoring to facilitate the establishment of ISWAP bases in Plateau and Bauchi States.”
Former Minister of Youth and Sport Development, Hon. Solomon Dalung, told Saturday Sun that the arrest was a clear indication that adequate attention must be given to intelligence gathering backed with actionable measures to save the state from total collapse into the hands of terrorist sects.
He said: “The implications are grave. An area already plagued by banditry and communal strife now faces the added threat of a well-organized Islamist insurgency. Unlike sporadic herder-farmer clashes, ISWAP brings sophisticated terror tactics, ideological extremism, and potential links to international terror networks.
“The mere presence of ISWAP operatives on Plateau soil is enough to unsettle the region. It raises fears that bombings, kidnappings, or coordinated terrorist attack tactics seen in Nigeria’s North-East could occur in Plateau communities that have thus far not experienced such violence. In short, this intelligence of ISWAP’s presence injects a new, frightening element into Plateau’s security crisis, one that could dramatically escalate violence if left unchecked.”
Who is after Plateau?
According to a report by primeprogress.com, “depending on which part of the state this violence is happening in, it could be religious, ethnic, communal, or even gang-related.”
Following the killing of over 100 innocent natives of Bokkos and Bassa local government areas of Plateau in one week, Governor Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang convened an emergency stakeholders meeting to chart a way forward for the restoration of peace in the state. At the emergency meeting, he asked: “Who is after Plateau? Why Plateau? Where are the attackers coming from? Who is sponsoring them? What is their aim?”
Mutfwang said: “I recall even before I got involved in politics, there were already issues of insecurity. These eventually led President Obasanjo to declare a state of emergency on the Plateau during the tenure of His Excellency, Chief Joshua Dariye.
“Moving forward to the tenure of Governor Jang, we also know the kind of tensions that erupted. Even then, a state of emergency was contemplated, though it never saw the light of day.
“In the last administration, particularly in Bassa, I’m told the community documented all the attacks and deaths that took place between 2015 to date. Many would be shocked to learn that nearly 3,000 people were lost, particularly in the Miango axis.
“Fast forward to today, if you search online, you’ll find that the dominant impression about Plateau State is that it is no longer a land of peace. Since then, many commissions of inquiry have been set up to unravel the causes of this cycle of violence that has plagued our state.
“Today, there is no senatorial zone in this state that is without its share of conflict, perhaps the only local governments in the Southern Zone that have been somewhat spared are Langtang South, Langtang North, and Mikang.
“In Wase, for instance, a grazing reserve was developed as far back as the days of Northern Nigeria. We can’t tell when that reserve was last put to use, but certainly, in the last 10 years or more, that area has been inaccessible.
“Kanam has also come under siege, the intelligence we are getting from Panda is very disturbing; it has become a haven for kidnappers and a sort of stock exchange for ransom transactions. Many of the kidnappings that took place in Shendam have also been linked to Panda.”
The governor further said that the Central Zone of the state is also not left out. “You know that Bokkos and Mangu have been severely hit, particularly in the last two years. Bokkos has been a recurring decimal for over a decade, and Mangu has now joined. The crisis has even spread into Pankshin. Kanke is not spared either. Reports of kidnappings there are becoming alarming.
“In the northern zone, perhaps the only local government that might appear relatively calm is Jos North. But that does not mean Jos North has been spared. One of the most dangerous cultic groups, Sarasuka, operates there. That cult group has taken many lives and we have been trying to tackle them.
“Yelwa, bordering Riyom and those border communities in Jos South have come under tremendous siege recently not to mention areas that have experienced long-term instability. Why us? Who is behind this? Where are they coming from? Who is sponsoring them? What is their aim, Mutfwang wondered.
The governor refuted the narrative that the situation in the state was a clash between herders and farmers. “When I came on board, the dominant narrative at national and international levels was that Plateau is suffering from a clash between farmers and herders. But is that true?
“I have tried to debunk that narrative. How can bandits occupy the Wase grazing reserve, and someone calls that a clash? How can they be in forests in Kanam, and someone says it is a clash?
“When it happened in December 2023 in Bokkos, when gunmen attacked defenceless communities with sophisticated weapons on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, what clash was that?”
Youths in Plateau State took a swipe at the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr Bayo Onanuga, when he described the recent killings in Bassa Local Government area as communal clashes.
The youths also expressed loss of confidence in security agencies in suppressing the incessant killings in the state. A statement read by Plateau Council Youth leader in the northern zone, Samson Chiroma, stated that the attacks at this time were attempts to deprive them of their means of livelihood.
The text read: “The youths wish to correct an erroneous impression as contained in an official statement released by the presidential spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, describing the latest attacks on our people as a ‘communal clash.’
“The world should not be misled by this simplistic definition given to the carefully planned and orchestrated genocide against our people by a rampaging Fulani militia that the United Nations has termed the fourth most dangerous terror group in the world
“As a people, let it be known that our people have never and will never be cowed by these acts of genocide again. It did not happen during the Jihadists movement and certainly it can never happen in this age of enlightenment and technological sophistication. We will continue to resist any attempt of attacks and land grabbing.
“In this regard, we wish to align our thoughts and actions with those of the Governor of Plateau State, Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang who stated categorically that Enough Is Enough!
“The youths of our zones cannot afford to stand by and watch our brothers and sisters being maimed and killed under the cover of darkness without any form of provocation. We will use all legal means possible until we get justice for our slain brothers and sisters. We will not leave anything to chance anymore.
“We must also place on record the recent killings and operation that lasted from 12:00 am to 1:30 am on Monday April, 14 2025 by Fulani militias in their continued genocide on the Irigwe people of Bassa that over 51 people were killed, and another attack that claimed two lives at Riyom LGA.
“We have taken note that these attacks appear to have taken a pattern over the years. Why is it that such attacks only happen when the wet season is about to set in? Is it an attempt or a grand plan to stop our people from accessing their farms, thereby subjecting them to perpetual economic hardship?”
Former Governor David Jang does not buy into the narrative that the attacks were communal crises. According to him, a spade should be called a spade.
In a letter of solidarity to Mutfwang, Jang stated: “I believe it is important to address a misconception in the President’s recent statement directing Governor Mutfwang to resolve the ‘communal issue’. This suggestion appears to stem from inaccurate briefings by his advisers. The attacks in Plateau State are not merely communal disputes; they are perpetrated by a known group with a specific agenda. It is crucial for the President to understand the true nature of these attacks in order to address them effectively.
“Additionally, I advise President Tinubu to convene an expanded meeting with community leaders to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the situation in Plateau State. Such a meeting would provide a platform for stakeholders to share their insights and experiences, enabling the President to develop a more informed approach to tackling this problem.
“I urge the people of Plateau State to remain strong and resist any attempts to undermine their existence. As peace-loving and welcoming citizens, we have endured enough. It is time for us to defend ourselves against these aggressors and demand justice. I call upon the people of Plateau State to stay united, vigilant and proactive in the face of these attacks.”
Conditions for peace… and more
Meanwhile, the Coalition of Fulani Registered Organizations (COFRO) Plateau State Chapter has given conditions for peace in Plateau State in the face of the rising attacks on local communities in their sleep. Among the demands of COFRO was the immediate and unconditional release of all arrested and detained Fulani people, disclosure of the whereabouts of their missing members as a result of alleged attacks on their communities by security agencies and a guarantee that natives will no longer kill their cattle.
The chairman of the Coalition, Garba Abdullahi Muhammad, who gave the conditions at a news briefing in Kaduna on April 8, 2025, further claimed that lack of justice from government and security agencies to affected Fulani herdsmen and their families was responsible for the escalation of the crisis in Plateau State.
“We call on the Federal Government to set up an independent and unbiased panel of inquiry to investigate these incidents and compensate victims appropriately, regardless of religious or ethnic affiliations.
“The government should deploy neutral security personnel to restore peace and normalcy, protect the Fulani community and other communities from aggression and intimidation.
“We also demand the immediate removal of the Commander, Sector 5 Operation Safe Haven Bokkos, Col. Dauda Magem, for bias, unprofessional military conduct, inciting violence, inciting religious intolerance and bigotry, incompetence and violation of military ethics and constitutional provisions.
“We call for unconditional release of all arrested and detained people and disclosure of the whereabouts of the missing individuals as a result of the commander marauding attacks on their communities,” Muhammad stated
The coalition chairman also called for the disbandment of the Operation Rainbow state security outfit which he referred to as ‘anti-Muslim squad,’ arrest and prosecution of operatives allegedly involved in the killing, maiming, arresting and displacing Fulani communities in Bokkos.
But the National President of the Conference of Autochthonous Ethnic Communities Development Association (CONECDA) Youth Wing in Nigeria, Comrade. Paul Joshua Dekete described the peace conditions by the Fulani group as a clear admittance to the ongoing carnage in Plateau State. He called for the arrest of the leaders of the group by security agencies for further investigation on their operations and missions in Plateau State.
In a chat with the reporter, Amb. Ezekiel Peter Bini, national president, Irigwe Youth Movement and chairman, Indigenous Ethnic Youth Nationalists, Plateau State opined that it was a matter of land grabbing and ethnic cleansing.
He said: “This is not the first time this thing is occurring. We have experienced this in my own community for the past 24 years. Almost every part of Plateau has been experiencing it, like Ryom, Barkin–Ladi, Mangu, Bokkos, Langtang, Wase, Dengi and even southern part like Kwampan, Mikan and Shandam. Their own is mostly kidnapping.
“So, in Plateau, there is no part not experiencing this problem. If you ask me today, what is the cause of this problem, I will boldly tell you it is all about land grabbing, ethnic cleansing and genocide. People have been tagging this thing as communal clash but it not true.
“We don’t share a boundary with the Fulani. There is no community in Plateau that shares a boundary with them. These are people that only came to rear their cattle here and my people freely gave them places to rear their cattle. But you know, over a period of time, they began to perpetrate this evil to us and some of us have been wondering what we have done.
“When they came, our forefathers gave them lands for free to rear their cattle. But over time, they grew horns and they feel they should take over the land and that is why they are doing this. Any way you go and ask what is the reason for doing this, nobody can tell you.
“But over time, we got to understand that they want to chase us out of our community, which cannot work. This where God placed us, we have no other place to go. We accepted them as visitors but they have become nuisance to us. Definitely, we cannot run away from our villages.
“As for the solution, the government knows what to do. The primary responsibility of every government is to protect lives and property of the citizens. If they should do the needful, I think they will stop this menace.
“When they attack us, they attribute it to unknown gunmen. But when they call us for meetings, you will see the Fulani or Miyetti Allah leaders there. So, why are they there if they are unknown gunmen? Are they representing the unknown gunmen or are they the perpetrators? These are issues we need to look at critically.”
Asked if there are no indigenous Fulani on the Plateau, Bini said: “I don’t know any. But if they are, they should come and explain where they got their indigeneship. In my own community, we don’t have any. All of them came from other places and our forefathers accepted them because Plateau people are very accommodating. We should be able to distinguish between indigeneship and citizenship.”
Dalup Solomon Mwantiri, a lawyer and president, Berom Youths Moulder-Association (BYM) said: “The cause of the Plateau attacks, not communal crises or farmers – herders crises as some people have mischievously coined it, is to grab land. How will the land be grabbed? It is only when the people are exterminated or gone into extinction that they can take over their land. This is what we have seen playing out on the Plateau. It is available on our record- more than 151 villages and communities have been uprooted and currently under the occupation of the Fulani invaders.
“They are so much interested about the land because the land is richly endowed with mineral resources. The land is also blessed with nutrients; the land is very fertile. Any kind of crop you plant on the Plateau always germinate and bear fruit. So, in order to take the economic power of the state, they have to take the land for the extraction of mineral resources and also cultivate it for agricultural purposes.
“Not only that, it is another way of waging a modern jihad that we are seeing, going by what our fathers told us that when Uthman Dan Fodio came to Plateau and when he couldn’t push further because they resisted him. All he was after was killings, extermination of lives, killing children, women and the men who tried to resist him.
“This is what we are seeing on the Plateau. Before taking over the land, the inhabitants must have been eliminated or driven away from their land.
“In Berom land alone, we have not less than 50,000 internally displaced persons, basically from Ryom and Barkin–Ladi LGAs. In Berom land alone, we have not less than 80 villages and communities that have been uprooted and are under the occupation of the Fulani invaders. Rakum village has been renamed Mahanga by the invaders. Another notorious one is Fas that has been renamed as Tafawa. So, it is not only uprooting or displacing the native inhabitants, but renaming those areas after themselves is what they are after.
“Also, the atmosphere in Plateau, the weather is the most friendly not only on the Plateau but the Middle Belt and Nigeria. Of course, once they take over the land, they will do everything within their reach to ensure that investors that will come would serve at their own discretion or dictates. That is why places like Furafos where NASCO generate its electricity for public consumption has almost been taken over by the invaders, who now determines who plies the road safely or not. They have almost taken over the place because the native inhabitants have been driven away. They are the ones now occupying the place and taking over everything within that locality.
“We have also seen that it is another way to impoverish the native inhabitants through kidnapping and receiving of heavy ransom. This is what we see around Bokkos area. After abducting native inhabitants, they place heavy ransom and the payment of the ransom will not in any way or does not in any way guarantee your release.
“There is a village head that was kidnapped around Maguna and after receiving ransom he is yet to be released. As at the time Huruti was attacked on March 27 and April 2, 2025, he was abducted and has not yet been released. We have not heard about him. So, we don’t know whether the man is alive or not. These are the trending happenings within Plateau and the general area.
“From the available information we have gathered, some of their kinsmen in authority are clamouring for the release of those individuals nabbed. Should they succeed in having those persons released, it would mean that even those that have been appointed or employed or are in the service of the federal government are not helping President Bola Tinubu to succeed. Rather they are there on ethnic sentiments and the sentiment that is not for our common good. It is a sentiment that is to place Nigeria at a very big disadvantage. Because if their kinsmen who are in authority will come into the state and demand the release of ISWAP members, it will therefore call for question: who then are these bandits? Who are these terrorists? So some of the people he has employed, President Tinubu needs to do a covert investigation on them, to ensure whether or not they are serving the interest of the state and nation.
“Another factor behind the killer Fulani to remain consistent in attacking villages and communities in Plateau State is that they want to establish a political system of their own. For the first time, we have seen them contesting for councillorship in Gashis in Barkin–Ladi Local Government area and Ryom Local Government area. That has clearly pointed to the fact that they are after becoming landlords. They are after taking over the political space so that the people will become subservient to them and be enslaved.
“Of course, they cannot come into the political space without reducing the numerical strength of the people and that is why they have killed so many, just like what happened in Hurti where over 40 people were killed overnight. We had witnessed that on June 23, 2018 where in Berom land alone, we recorded not less than 200 deaths. It was pure massacre and genocide that was perpetrated on native inhabitants.
“They also want to get their own state because one of their arrangements is to ensure that they get enough land space so that they will clamour for the creation of local governments so that they will be on their own. And they have vowed that where such opportunities or privileges are not made available to them, they will kill at will and nothing will anybody do.
“So, these are some of the factors that inform these criminals and bandits to continue ravaging Plateau villages and communities.”
But the Secretary of Miyetti Allah Cattle Rearers Association of Nigeria, Plateau State chapter, Salisu Isa, a lawyer, attributed the conflicts to lack of proactiveness in handling criminal activities by security agencies.
He disclosed that the coordinated operations of criminal syndicate across Plateau State over the years has continued to served as business opportunities to crisis entrepreneurs who are not ready to see to the end of the crisis.
Isa said: “It’s very unfortunate what is happening in Plateau State. It’s very unfortunate that it has taken this long without getting to the root of the problem so it can be solved. As for the narrative that everybody is looking at every Fulani as a bad person, I don’t agree.
“I know there’s no group of people you can say are all bad, just as you cannot say these are groups of people that are all pure. In every community, including the Fulani, you have good people and you have bad people. This applies across every community.
“Yes, we agree there are a few bad people among the Fulani, as there are in any other tribe. But the Fulani as a whole cannot be said to be all bad. The Fulani in Nigeria have contributed immensely in all spheres of life, be it the economy, education, politics just to mention a few. So, I disagree with that narrative.
“I would say injustice or the lack of justice is what has caused this continuous violence and conflict among the diverse groups in Plateau State. If justice were applied to everyone, if anyone who commits a crime is treated as a criminal and justice is allowed to take its course then we would get to the root of the problem and resolve these conflicts.
“But as long as we fail to use the justice system as it’s meant to be used, we will continue to see these things happening. Nothing can stop it except justice.
“Cattle rustling, farm destruction, and animal poisoning are all criminal activities. Our laws and the criminal justice system recognise them as crimes. What we need is for the institutions put in place to deal with these acts to wake up and do the needful. We have law enforcement agencies; the police, DSS, civil defence, even the military. They should do their work diligently by arresting and prosecuting the criminals.
“For example, I’ve had an experience where two Fulani boys and one Berom boy were brought to court. All three were accused of stealing maize from a farm. So, can we call this a Fulani crime or a Berom crime? These were individuals acting together. We have cases of conspiracy between people from different groups who go and commit crimes, but some people, including journalists, rush to conclude that Fulani are responsible, and then the entire Fulani community is branded as criminals.
“Yes, we cannot deny that a few Fulani are involved in crime, but it’s wrong to generalize and label the whole group as criminals. That won’t help resolve our problems,” he advised.
For the solicitor and secretary of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association (MACBAN) Plateau State Chapter, the age-long violent conflict on the Plateau is a business for some people, making profit at the detriment of innocent citizens.
“Actually, to some extent, there are people who are benefiting from this crisis. A lot of people benefit from it and those who do may not want the crisis to stop. We have entrepreneurs in this crisis, and they are always benefiting from it. If these people are not identified and dealt with, they will continue to ignite the conflict, and it will continue.
“Our institutions, especially the security agencies, should be very proactive and carry out their activities diligently. In fact, just a few minutes before we started this interview, I received a report from Bassa Local Government area of the state that over 100 cows were rustled.
“But I am very glad and happy to inform you that immediately the security agencies were informed, they quickly went to the scene of the rustling and have already recovered the said cows – over 100. The herder was attacked and injured and has been taken to the hospital. Thankfully, there was no loss of life, and the cows were recovered.
“This is the kind of proactiveness we expect from all the security agencies. They should always respond in time. If they hadn’t been there and the cows were lost, the next thing you would hear would be reprisals, which would trigger another round of killings. So, what we are calling for is that our security agencies should be more proactive, more professional in their work, be very neutral and should treat criminals as criminals.
“Now, those who perpetrated or attempted to perpetrate this cattle rustling should be fished out. The cows have been recovered, which is very good, but we still hold the authorities responsible to fish out those who attempted this crime, especially since a herder was injured. He has been taken to the hospital, and we pray for his quick recovery.”
Isa noted that there is the need for the education and sensitization of various communities to always report any incidents to the appropriate authorities, adding that the authorities should be fair in investigating and dealing with the issue immediately.
“Leaders and stakeholders should help fish out criminals among them. If we are sincere about addressing this conflict, any criminal in the community should be reported and handed over to the relevant authorities for investigation and prosecution will go a long way.
“All our justice institutions, the police, the courts, the lawyers should rise to their duties. Investigations should be thorough, and once a matter is in court, it should be dealt with as quickly as possible so that offenders are convicted and punished. This punishment should serve as a deterrent; that’s the philosophy behind punishing those found guilty,” he reiterated.
He stressed that having political will is key in tackling the situation. “The government should have the political will to handle all issues the way they are supposed to be handled. The government should not be seen supporting one group against another; it should be an arbiter of justice. Anyone found guilty should be dealt with accordingly; that’s the government’s responsibility.”
Indeed, Plateau is beaten, battered and bleeding. Who will save one of the most scenic states in Nigeria from the vicious grip of terrorists?
•Additional report from Jude Dangwam, Jos