Breaking: Suspected Fulani Militias Kill 20 in Riyom Community Despite Visible Military Presence

By Steven Kefas

Twenty people were killed in a brutal overnight attack on the peaceful community of Bindi in Ta-Hoss Village, Riyom Local Government Area of Plateau State, on Monday, July 14, 2025, according to local advocacy groups.

The Coalition for the Protection of Democracy (COPDEM), Riyom Branch, which announced the attack, described it as another devastating blow to communities already reeling from persistent violence in Nigeria’s volatile Middle Belt region.

Eyewitnesses and local sources confirmed that the assailants were heavily armed suspected Fulani extremists, continuing a tragic pattern of attacks across Riyom and other parts of Plateau State. The assault occurred despite the visible presence of security forces in the area, including armoured military assets, raising serious questions about the effectiveness of current security arrangements.

The attack is the latest in a series of violent incidents that have plagued the region. Just a day earlier, on July 13, gunmen suspected to be Fulani militia killed two preachers after their church service in the Gwon community of Rim District, also in Riyom LGA. The escalating violence has created a climate of fear and uncertainty among residents.

Escalating Violence in Plateau State

In Plateau state, armed herders carried out 38 attacks between March and April 2025 alone, according to Amnesty International. Between 27 March and 2 April 2025, coordinated attacks took place against five communities: Daffo, Gwande, Hurti, Manguna, and Ruwi in Bokkos local government.

With many herders belonging to the Muslim Fulani ethnic group, and many farmers Christian, the attacks in Nigeria’s Middle Belt often take on a religious or ethnic dimension. This dynamic has complicated resolution efforts and heightened communal tensions across the region.

Pattern of Impunity

COPDEM officials expressed frustration over what they described as the recurring nature of these attacks, noting that the locations and hideouts of the attackers have been repeatedly identified and reported to authorities. The group questioned why known threats continue to operate with apparent impunity despite security presence in the region.

“These attackers are not unknown. Their hideouts and base settlements in nearby enclaves have been repeatedly identified and reported by community leaders and local authorities,” the group stated in their press release. “Yet, year after year, these known threats continue to strike with impunity, often unchallenged.”

The attack on Ta-Hoss follows a devastating pattern in Riyom LGA. In April 2025, Daniel Mwanti of Wereng Community, Riyom LGA, was attacked and shot dead by Fulani militiamen, while on 24 December, gunmen killed at least 15 people — majority of them women and children —during an attack on Gidan Ado community of Ganawuri in Riyom LGA.

Broader Security Crisis

The Ta-Hoss attack is part of a broader security crisis affecting Nigeria’s Middle Belt. At least 50 people were reported killed in a similar attack in Zikke in April 2025, while at least 150 Christian farmers were killed by suspected Fulani Militias in weekend attacks in Yelwata in Benue state on June 13, 2025

Calls for Action

COPDEM has called on President Bola Tinubu and the National Security Council to order a high-level intervention and military operation to dismantle known terrorist enclaves threatening Plateau’s peace. The group also demanded that the Plateau State Government declare a state of emergency in affected areas.

The organization urged the Chief of Defence Staff and Chief of Army Staff to audit and reposition security architecture across Riyom and adjoining local government areas, while calling on the Nigerian Police and Department of State Services to investigate the continued failure to apprehend attackers despite available intelligence.

In a direct appeal to international bodies, COPDEM called on the United Nations Human Rights Council, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and other global organizations to take immediate interest in what they described as “systematic violence and creeping genocide in Plateau State.”

As families in Ta-Hoss village mourn their dead and begin the difficult process of rebuilding their lives, the attack serves as another stark reminder of the urgent need for comprehensive solutions to Nigeria’s persistent security challenges in the Middle Belt region.

How Fulani Militias Became Nigeria’s Deadliest Group While Escaping Global Notice

By Steven Kefas

In 2015, when the Global Terrorism Index (GTI) ranked Armed Fulani militants as the fourth deadliest terror group in the world, Nigeria was already grappling with the brutal reality of multiple security threats. Yet nearly a decade later, as these same militants have grown exponentially more lethal, they have mysteriously vanished from international terrorism rankings —despite becoming what many security experts now consider Nigeria’s most deadly non-state armed group.

This paradox raises troubling questions about how the global community measures and responds to terrorism, particularly when it involves complex ethnoreligious conflicts in Africa. While international attention remains focused on jihadist groups like Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), a more devastating threat has been systematically erasing entire communities across Nigeria’s Middle Belt.

The Numbers Tell a Devastating Story

Recent data from the Observatory for Religious Freedom in Africa (ORFA) paints a picture of unprecedented violence that dwarfs the carnage attributed to Nigeria’s better-known terrorist organizations. Note: The following data represents preliminary research findings that have not yet been published on ORFA’s website but are based on their ongoing documentation efforts. Between October 2019 and September 2024, ORFA documented 66,656 deaths across Nigeria, of these, 36,056 were civilians. The Fulani Ethnic Militia (FEM) were responsible for a staggering 47% of all civilian killings —more than five times the combined death toll of Boko Haram and ISWAP, which together accounted for just 11% of civilian deaths.

These figures represent more than statistical abstractions; they reflect a systematic campaign of violence that has fundamentally altered the demographic landscape of Nigeria’s Middle Belt. The data reveals that 2.4 Christians were killed for every Muslim during this period, with proportional losses to Christian communities reaching exceptional levels. In states where attacks occur, Christians were murdered at a rate 5.2 times higher than Muslims relative to their population size.

The scope of violence extends far beyond killings. ORFA documented 13,437 incidents of extreme violence during the five-year study period, including 29,180 civilians abducted. The trajectory of kidnappings alone illustrates the escalating nature of the crisis: from 1,665 civilians abducted in 2020 to 7,705 in 2022, before declining slightly to 6,255 in 2023, then rising again to 7,648 in 2024. By the end of 2024, the International Displacement Monitoring Centre reported that 3.4 million Nigerians had been forcibly displaced from their homes by conflict and violence.

A Pattern of Systematic Violence

Unlike the headline-grabbing attacks of jihadist groups such as Boko Haram and ISWAP, Muslim Fulani militants violence follows a different but equally devastating pattern. ORFA’s research indicates that 79% of civilian killings are land-based community attacks, where armed groups “invade mostly small Christian farming settlements to kill, rape, abduct, and burn homes.” This methodology, while less spectacular than suicide bombings or mass hostage situations, has proven far more effective at achieving long-term territorial control and demographic change.

The geographic concentration of these attacks is particularly telling. The North Central Zone and Kaduna state have borne the brunt of FEM violence. ORFA documented 3,776 incidents with civilian killings and 1,990 incidents with civilian abductions. Most of them by FEM. This concentrated campaign has effectively depopulated entire communities while military resources remain focused on the North-East and North-West regions where Boko Haram/ISWAP and Fulani bandits operate.

Recent mass casualty events underscore the escalating brutality of these attacks. The Yelwata massacre of June 13-14, 2025, stands as one of the most horrific examples, where FEM militants killed over 150 people—mostly women and children—in the farming community of Yelwata in Guma Local Government Area of Benue State. This attack followed a familiar pattern of targeting vulnerable agricultural communities during periods when people are fast asleep.

The violence is not new, but its intensity has dramatically increased. The Agatu Massacre of February-March 2016 saw between 300 and 500 people killed by FEM in Agatu Local Government Area of Benue State, marking one of the earliest large-scale coordinated attacks that would become the group’s signature methodology. More recently, the Christmas Eve massacre in Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau State claimed over 200 lives, demonstrating how FEM deliberately targets Christian communities during religious celebrations to maximize psychological impact.

The Global Terrorism Index Conundrum

The disappearance of Fulani militants from GTI rankings despite their escalating lethality raises fundamental questions about how international terrorism monitoring systems categorize and prioritize threats. The GTI, published annually by the Institute for Economics and Peace, uses specific criteria to define terrorist incidents, requiring acts to be intentional, involve violence or threat of violence, and have sociopolitical objectives.

However, the framing of Fulani militia violence as “farmer-herder conflicts” or “ethnic clashes” rather than terrorism may have contributed to their exclusion from global terror rankings. This categorization problem has real-world consequences, affecting international aid allocation, security cooperation, and diplomatic pressure. When violence is labeled as communal conflict rather than terrorism, it receives less international attention and fewer resources for intervention.

The methodological approach of global terrorism databases may also inadvertently favor tracking spectacular attacks by designated terrorist organizations over systematic violence by ethnoreligious militias. While Boko Haram’s suicide bombings and mass kidnappings generated international headlines and clear database entries, the daily reality of village raids, targeted killings, and forced displacement may be underreported or miscategorized.

The Cost of Invisibility

The absence of Fulani militias from international terrorism rankings has had profound implications for Nigeria’s security response and international support. While billions of dollars in international aid and military assistance have flowed toward countering Boko Haram and ISWAP, the regions most affected by Fulani militia violence have received comparatively little attention or resources.

This mismatch between threat levels and resource allocation has allowed the crisis to metastasize. ORFA’s data shows that what security experts describe as “twin” Islamist threats—Boko Haram/ISWAP in the northeast and Fulani militias in the Middle Belt—have created a pincer effect that is reshaping Nigeria’s religious and ethnic geography.

The human cost extends beyond immediate casualties to include the systematic destruction of agricultural communities that form the backbone of Nigeria’s food security. As Christian farming communities are displaced or destroyed, the country faces not only a humanitarian crisis but also long-term food production challenges that could affect regional stability.

Questions Demanding Answers

The case of Nigeria’s invisible terror crisis demands serious examination of how the international community monitors and responds to political violence. If the deadliest group responsible for civilian casualties can operate below the radar of global terrorism indices, what other threats are being overlooked? How can monitoring systems be reformed to capture the full spectrum of political violence, regardless of whether perpetrators fit traditional terrorist profiles?

The ORFA data suggests that Nigeria is experiencing what amounts to a slow-motion genocide in its Middle Belt, with one ethnic militia group systematically targeting civilian populations based on religion and ethnicity. The pattern evident from Agatu in 2016 to Yelwata in 2025 shows a consistent strategy of mass killing designed to achieve territorial control and demographic change. Yet this crisis receives a fraction of the international attention devoted to other jihadist groups operating in Nigeria with lower casualty rates.

As Nigeria heads into an uncertain future, the international community must grapple with uncomfortable questions about selective attention to terrorism and the consequences of allowing certain forms of mass violence to remain invisible. The 36,056 civilian deaths documented by ORFA represent more than statistics—they are fathers, mothers, children, and community leaders whose lives were cut short while the world looked elsewhere.

The time has come to acknowledge that terrorism takes many forms, and the deadliest threats are not always the ones that make international headlines. Until global monitoring systems adapt to capture the full spectrum of political violence, groups like the Fulani militias will continue to operate in the shadows, leaving devastation in their wake while escaping the accountability that comes with international recognition and response.

How Lakurawa Terrorists Are Carving Out a Caliphate in Nigeria’s Northwest

First published on TruthNigeria 

By Steven Kefas

(Kaduna), The tranquil morning of July 2nd, 2025, shattered into chaos as Lakurawa terrorists, led by former bandit commander Charambe, descended upon Kwallajiya village in Sokoto State’s Tangaza Local Government Area. When the dust settled, 15 villagers lay dead—the latest victims of a terror group that has transformed from seemingly peaceful recruiters into a violent force threatening Nigeria’s northwestern frontier. Lakurawa has about 3,000 fighters in its ranks, security expert Dr. Walid Abdullahi told TruthNigeria.

This deadly assault represents a chilling evolution for the Lakurawa group, whose name derives from the French “La recrue” (the recruit), and whose journey from obscurity to infamy offers a sobering lesson in how terrorist organizations exploit governance vacuums to establish territorial control.

The Deceptive Dawn of Terror

Lakurawa’s story begins not with violence, but with promises. When the group first crossed into Nigeria between 2017 and 2018, they presented themselves as peaceful implementers of Sharia law. Sa’idu Salewa, a resident of Tangaza, recalls their early days to TruthNigeria: “When they first came here, to Tangaza some months ago, they were calm, friendly and peaceful and were only after implementing sharia law but now things have changed. They now attack villages and kill people.”

Defense and security expert David Otto, speaking on Arise TV, explains that Lakurawa entered Nigeria in 2018, establishing footholds in communities across Sokoto and Kebbi states. Their initial strategy was one of patient infiltration—winning hearts and minds while quietly building organizational capacity. The group has in recent months sent out fighters to some states in the North-west and North-central parts of Nigeria, a security personnel serving in Sokoto told TruthNigeria on condition of anonymity. “Lakurawa has been expanding its reach beyond Sokoto and Kebbi states in recent months. Don’t forget that the Police in Zamfara attributed some attacks to Lakurawa late last year or so.” He said.

Dr. Walid Abdullahi, a security expert based in Birnin-Kebbi, warned of this deceptive strategy as early as November 2024. “The group is only playing the peaceful card to ascertain control of territories in the regions,” he cautioned, predicting that violence would inevitably follow once territorial control was established.

The Terror Emerges

The predicted violence materialized with devastating effect. Beyond the July 2nd massacre in Kwallajiya, Lakurawa’s operations have spread across multiple fronts. On May 16th, 2025, eight women were forcibly abducted from Zagani village in Kebbi State while attending church services. The Chairman of Danko-Wasagu Local Government Area, Hussaini Aliyu Bena, reported that poor network coverage has prevented contact with the abductors, leaving the victims’ fate unknown.

The group’s territorial ambitions have manifested in systematic taxation and control mechanisms. In Augi Local Government Area of Kebbi State, residents report that Lakurawa now imposes taxes on villages and restricts cattle sales. Abubakar Muhammad, a local resident, describes the suffocating control: “It is now almost impossible to sell your own cattle to buy, let’s say, a motorcycle. They will arrest you and get you to pay taxes. Their justification is that they want to be using the animals owned by villagers to help the less privileged.”

A Strategic Alliance of Terror

Perhaps most alarming is Lakurawa’s ability to attract dispersed bandit elements. Dr. Abdullahi’s intelligence sources confirm that former bandits, left without leadership after military operations eliminated their commanders, are now seeking shelter under Lakurawa’s umbrella.

“I can also confirm that some bandits who were dispersed by the military operations that killed their commanders are now entering into alliances with different Lakurawa cells in Kebbi and Sokoto states,” Dr. Abdullahi reveals. This fusion of ideological terrorism with criminal banditry creates a hybrid threat that complicates counter-terrorism efforts.

The security expert warns that this phenomenon causes confusion in attack attribution: “Communities may actually see bandits, but the bandits may be new Lakurawa members.” This strategic absorption of bandit elements strengthens Lakurawa’s operational capacity while providing desperate bandits with ideological cover for their activities.

The Larger Sahel Connection

Lakurawa’s ambitions extend far beyond local control. Dr. Abdullahi identifies the group as part of a broader jihadist project seeking to establish caliphates “in the Sahel down to the coast of Ghana.” This regional vision aligns with established terrorist networks operating across West Africa.

The geographic proximity between Kebbi and Niger states creates particular concern. Dr. Abdullahi warns that Lakurawa’s eventual convergence with JNIM (Jama’at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin) fighters operating around Kainji Lake appears inevitable rather than possible.

“When you consider the proximity between Kebbi and Niger state, it is a matter of when, not if, Lakurawa will meet up with their counterparts; the JNIM fighters in the Kainji lake are where JNIM is now dominant,” he cautions. “We may soon have a dominant alliance of all terror groups in the Sahel, and that will be dangerous for Nigeria.”

Communities Under Siege

The human cost of Lakurawa’s expansion is devastating. Muhammed Rabiu, a Tangaza resident, describes communities living under constant threat: “The community has been under siege from both the Lakurawa terror group for weeks with the Nigerian security doing very little to intervene.”

Local residents report that the group has been “killing people silently in Tangaza local government for some time now,” suggesting a pattern of systematic intimidation designed to establish complete territorial control.

The Security Response Gap

The consistent reports of minimal security intervention highlight a critical gap in Nigeria’s counter-terrorism strategy. Communities describe being abandoned to face Lakurawa’s expansion with little to no government support, creating conditions that allow terrorist groups to establish territorial control.

A Warning Unheeded

Lakurawa’s evolution from peaceful recruiters to violent terrorists validates expert warnings about the group’s true intentions. Their success in establishing territorial control, imposing taxation, and attracting criminal allies demonstrates how quickly terrorist organizations can exploit governance vacuums.

The group’s regional ambitions and potential alliance with established Sahel terrorist networks represent a strategic threat requiring immediate, coordinated response. Without decisive action, Lakurawa’s “recruitment” phase may prove to be merely the prelude to a broader campaign of terror across West Africa’s vulnerable northwestern corridor.

As communities continue to suffer under Lakurawa’s expanding control, the question remains: will Nigeria’s security apparatus mobilize effectively against this growing threat before it becomes too entrenched to dislodge?

First published on TruthNigeria

….Steven Kefas is the publisher for Middle Belt Times and also reports conflicts for TruthNigeria

Plateau SSG’s Convoy Evades Terrorist Ambush in Bokkos

Jos, Plateau State— In a dramatic confrontation that eerily mirrors the security situation in the state, the Secretary to the Government of Plateau State, Mr. Samuel Jatau, narrowly escaped an ambush by terrorists suspected to be Fulani Ethnic Militias (FEM) on Sunday during a humanitarian visit to communities devastated by recent attacks in Bokkos Local Government Area.

The incident, which unfolded near Hurti community in Monguna district, stands as a stark reminder of the persistent security challenges in Nigeria’s Middle Belt region

As Mr. Jatau’s convoy approached the area, gunmen concealed in surrounding terrain opened fire, likely planning to execute another devastating attack. However, unlike countless previous incidents in the state, the security team’s swift and effective response forced the attackers to retreat into nearby mountains, a security personnel who witnessed the incident told MBT.

“I lack words to express my sorrow and anger. We just tested what these communities are feeling,” recounted a visibly shaken Jatau. “I was looking at my phone in the car when I suddenly heard gunshots. When I looked up, I saw two young men running into the bush, armed with guns.” Jatau told journalists after the incident.

The attack came just days after a deadly raid that claimed over 40 lives in the same area, part of a troubling pattern of violence that has plagued several regions in Nigeria’s Middle Belt. Yet security experts note that the quick repulsion of the attackers demonstrates a marked improvement in tactical response—similar to developments that have helped stabilize Southern Kaduna after years of devastating conflict.

“We saw the destruction firsthand. Over 40 people were killed, homes were destroyed, and entire livelihoods were wiped out,” Jatau continued, describing the aftermath of the previous attack. “The terrorists looted essential goods like 26 bags of potatoes worth N80,000 each from one home. These are peasant farmers; how do they recover from this? We must do better than this as a country.” The SSG said.

Bokkos local government has come under sustained deadly attacks by terrorists in recent months. In December 2023, over 200 people, including women and children, were brutally murdered by FEM militias who launched coordinated attacks across 25 villages on Christmas Eve.

Troops Neutralize Kidnappers, Arrest Gunrunners, and Rescue Hostages in Plateau and Kaduna.

By Eke Chioma

(Jos), Troops of 3 Division and Operation safe haven,  under Operation LAFIYAN JAMA’A, have eliminated two kidnappers, apprehended suspected gunrunners, and seized arms and ammunition in Plateau and Kaduna States.

According to Major Samson Zhakom, Media Information Officer of Operation SAFE HAVEN, troops launched an offensive operation on March 12, 2025, targeting criminal hideouts in Kuru and Turu, Jos South LGA, Plateau State. 

During the operation, troops engaged armed kidnappers and terrorists near the high grounds of Kuru, successfully eliminating two suspects. A search of the area led to the recovery of 18 rounds of 7.62mm (Special) and 9 rounds of 5.56 x 45mm ammunition. 

Later that day, troops set up snap checkpoints along the Bokkos-Bot-Mangu road in Bokkos LGA, following intelligence reports on arms smuggling.  

The operation led to the arrest of 21-year-old Sengi David, a known gunrunner from Kopal Village in Panyam District, Mangu LGA. Troops recovered one AK-47 magazine and 48 rounds of 7.62mm (Special) ammunition from the suspect, who is now in custody for further investigation. 

In another covert operation on March 11, troops successfully arrested a notorious kidnapper, terrorist, and gunrunner, identified as Mr. Blessed Paul, 22, in Garaje Community, Jema’a LGA, Kaduna State.  

The suspect, who had been on security agencies’ wanted list, had previously escaped to Abuja to evade arrest. Troops lured him by posing as buyers interested in purchasing an AK-47 rifle for N1.5 million.  

“A search on the suspect led to the recovery of one AK-47 rifle, one AK-47 magazine, and 2 rounds of 7.62 mm (Special) ammunition. The suspect and recovered arms and ammunition are in custody,” Zhakom stated.  

According to the military, the suspect is cooperating with interrogators, providing useful information to help security forces track down other members of his syndicate.  

On March 12, 2025, troops of 3 Division/Operation SAFE HAVEN conducted a rescue operation at the outskirts of Josho Village, Daffo District, Bokkos LGA, Plateau State.  

”The operation followed credible intelligence that kidnappers were keeping some abducted victims in the area. Upon sighting troops, the kidnappers abandoned their victims and fled,” Zhakom explained.  

Following a search of the hideout, troops rescued two female victims:  

– Miss Nanbam Adamu, 11 years old and

– Miss Dorcas Wantu

Both victims are indigenes of Mbor Village in Mushere District, Bokkos LGA.  

“The rescued victims have been debriefed and handed over to their families. Troops are currently conducting follow-up operations to intercept and neutralize the fleeing kidnappers,” the military spokesman added. 

Deadly Suicide Bombing Strikes Night Market in Borno State

A night market in Kauri, a rural community within the Konduga district of Borno State, North East Nigeria, was the scene of a devastating attack when a suspected Boko Haram suicide bomber detonated an explosive device.

The explosion took place at approximately 9 pm on Wednesday, July 31, in the bustling market area that operates during the night. The market, frequented by numerous locals, is situated along the Bama-Maiduguri road and has been a frequent target of Boko Haram attacks. This latest incident marks yet another in a series of assaults on the vulnerable communities in the region.

According to local sources, the attack resulted in multiple casualties. A police officer and a woman were among those killed, while two patrol vans were set on fire. A government official from the village reported that the bomb detonated at 8:05 pm in a local tea joint where villagers often gathered for evening conversations. Dozens of people were also injured in the blast.

“It is unclear exactly how the attack unfolded, but we suspect that the bomb was planted rather than being a suicide attack. We found the bodies of 19 people, with an unspecified number of civilians injured. The injured were transported to an undisclosed hospital in Maiduguri for treatment,” a source told Daily Trust on condition of anonymity.

This tragic event occurred just 24 hours after an Accountant working with the Local Education Authority in Damboa Local Government Area, Shettima Mustapha, was killed when his vehicle struck an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) planted by suspected Boko Haram terrorists along the Maiduguri-Damboa-Biu highway in Borno.

Efforts to reach the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Kenneth Daso, for comment were unsuccessful, as his phone was unreachable at the time of reporting.

The attack comes as a nationwide protest is set to take place, with the government expressing concerns that such demonstrations could be exploited by criminals and terrorists.

As of the time of reporting, Middle Belt Times has not received an official statement regarding the incident, and authorities have yet to confirm the number of fatalities.

In a related development, Vanguard reported on Wednesday that a senior Accounting Officer from the Education Department of Damboa Local Government Area of Borno State, Shettima Mustapha, was killed along with another victim whose leg had to be amputated, and several others injured. This incident occurred when their vehicle encountered an IED planted by suspected Boko Haram terrorists along the Maiduguri-Damboa-Biu 185 km expressway.

Nigerian Senate Divided As Bill to Ban Open Grazing, Establish Ranches Passes Second Reading

…Arewa (Northern) Senators kick against bill, say it is discriminatory

By Steven Kefas

(Kaduna), The long-standing crisis between farmers and herders in Nigeria may soon see a lasting solution if a proposed bill scales through the legislative process. The bill, which seeks to ban open grazing and establish a national commission to regulate and manage ranches across the country, has already passed the second reading in the Senate, albeit amidst heated debates and divisions among lawmakers.

Sponsored by Senator Titus Zam, an All Progressives Congress (APC) member representing Benue North-West Senatorial District, the bill is titled: “A Bill to establish a National Animal Husbandry and Ranches Commission for the regulation, management, preservation, and control of ranches throughout Nigeria; and for connected purposes, 2024.”

In his lead debate, Zam highlighted the increasing wave of violent conflicts that erupt from the interaction between pastoralists and farmers in Nigeria, describing the situation as having assumed a “war-like dimension with far-reaching negative impacts on the people and the country as a whole.”

He emphasized the urgency of addressing the issue, stating, “As stakeholders in the Nigeria project and elected representatives of the people, doing so would amount to an abdication of our statutory and leadership responsibilities.”

Zam proposed banning open grazing as a “legislative therapy” to cure the menace of farmers and herders’ crises, lamenting that the Nigerian State had continued to pay lip service to the challenge without addressing it in concrete terms, in line with international best practices of animal husbandry.

“Every effort is laced with maneuvers that speak to our ethnic and political biases or sentiments, thus resisted by the people,” he said. “This 10th Senate has a date with history. We must rise in one accord to sort out this problem of herders-farmers violent conflicts that would, if allowed to linger longer, consume even more lives and properties than the civil war of 1967-1970.”

The Senator further stated, “Now is the time to put a permanent stop to the endless circle of attacks and counter-attacks by our people and their external collaborators. Now is the time to adopt international best practices in animal husbandry. Now is the time to bring about a law to stop open grazing. It is old-fashioned, hazardous, burdensome, and must be discarded.”

Zam’s bill proposes ranching as the only viable alternative for cattle breeding in Nigeria and advocates for the urgent need to transit from traditional livestock keeping methods to modern, safer, and healthier methods for both the herds and the herders.

The bill further proposes that ranches would be established in the pastoralists’ states of origin without forcing it upon other states or communities that do not have pastoralists as citizens. Interested parties in the livestock business must seek and obtain approvals from their host communities to establish ranches for peaceful coexistence.

While some senators supported the bill, others objected to the clause stating that pastoralists should establish ranches in their states of origin.

Senator Eyinnaya Abaribe said, “I am of the view that the bill could be a solution to the clashes between farmers and herders if properly managed.” He recommended amending the constitution and the Land Use Act to simplify the management of lands within the respective states.

Abaribe noted that while some herders were peaceful and engaged in legitimate animal business, there were also criminal elements sponsored to destabilize communities. “Farmers are under threat, and what that has led to is the food crisis that we face in Nigeria today,” he added.

Senator Sunday Karimi (Kogi-West) suggested that the best way forward was for every state to establish ranches. “I appreciate my colleague for introducing this bill. This is a national problem, and we all know this. We can’t just sit and do nothing as responsible parliamentarians. Before now, the North had cattle routes, which have been taken over by property owners. Now cattle roam the whole country. All states must be ready to establish cattle ranches,” he said.

However, a former Governor of Gombe State, Senator Mohammed Goje, drove the north’s position further when he observed that the bill was discriminatory by proposing to restrict the herders to a particular geographical location. “There are many angles to this issue of farmers and herders. We have to tackle the problem holistically. These Fulanis are Nigerians,” he maintained.

The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Sports, Senator Suleiman Abdulrahman-Kawu, shared a similar view, stating that the bill would breach the constitutional rights of the herders. “The bill is totally against the constitution of Nigeria. The bill will even compound the problem of the herders and the farmers. You can’t propose a law to attend to a particular group or section of the country only. This bill is not holistic, and we will fight it till the end,” Kawu stated.

The President of the Senate, Sen. Godswill Akpabio, urged all senators to remain calm and allow the bill to proceed to a public hearing. “We must hold a public hearing and bring all the stakeholders to have a say, including cattle rearers and the state governments,” Akpabio remarked shortly before he rammed his gavel for the second reading.

Akpabio assured senators that everything possible would be done to reach a consensus on the proposals contained in the bill, including amending the Land Use Act where necessary.

However, Senator Adamu Aliero said any law that would restrict the movement of any Nigerian and his property would be a direct breach of Section 41 of the Constitution.

The Senate President acknowledged that offensive clauses not in line with the constitution should be expunged from the Bill during the public hearing and the national summit on security already agreed by the Senate.

The heated debate on the bill further divided the Senate, with the division centered around infractions on relevant provisions of the 1999 Constitution, protocols of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) regarding the free movement of persons and their property from state to state and country to country.

Senators Garba Musa Maidoki (PDP Kebbi South) and Abba Moro (PDP Benue South) supported the bill, while others like Senators Adamu Aliero (PDP Kebbi Central), Suleiman Kawu (NNPP Kano South), and Danjuma Goje (APC Gombe Central) kicked against it.

Senator Adamu Aliero, in opposing the bill, raised a constitutional point of order by quoting Section 41 of the 1999 Constitution, which gives all Nigerians free movement into any state with their property. He specifically told the Senate that it was wrong for the sponsor of the bill to propose establishing ranches in the state of origin of pastoralists alone.

Senator Kawu, in his opposition to the bill, said, “This bill is against the provisions of the constitution and, in fact, will compound the crisis of herders/farmers in Nigeria if allowed to become law.”

The bill, however, scaled the second reading when put to a voice vote by the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, after the refusal of the sponsor to step it down. It was thereafter forwarded to the Senate Committees on Agriculture, Trade and Investment, Judiciary and Legal Matters for further legislative inputs within the next four weeks.

The heated debates and divisions among senators on the proposed bill highlight the complexity of the farmers-herders crisis in Nigeria and the challenges in finding a lasting solution that balances the interests of all stakeholders while adhering to the provisions of the constitution and relevant protocols.

Indigenous Youth Groups Sound Alarm Over Rampant Land Grabs in Plateau State

By Steven Kefas

In a powerful and sobering press conference held at the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) on May 27, 2024, a coalition of indigenous youth associations from Plateau State raised the alarm over the alarming and unacceptable loss of ancestral lands suffered by customary landowners across the state.

Representing the Atakar, Berom, Irigwe, Mwagavwul and Ron communities, as well as the Coalition of Plateau State Indigenous Youth Bodies, the leaders painted a grim picture of well-orchestrated terror campaigns aimed at dispossessing native populations of their land and mineral resources.

“For several years, we have been crying out and lodging complaints to the appropriate authorities, but our pleas have fallen on deaf ears,” lamented Silas Samuel Biniyat, President of the Attakar Youth Movement. “There is a clear agenda by Fulani terrorists to unleash attacks, kill innocent civilians, and displace our people from their ancestral homes – all to deny us access to our God-given lands and territories.”

The litany of affected areas reads like a roll call of despair, with the groups alleging that over 151 hamlets and villages across Barkin Ladi, Bassa, Bokkos, Mangu and Riyom Local Government Areas have either been totally annexed or are under effective occupation by militants, bandits and terrorists.

“It’s quite provoking to imagine that the foundations of churches destroyed by these terrorist elements have overnight been reconstructed as mosques, in utter disregard for the fundamental rights of the displaced people,” said Peter Bini, President of the Irigwe Youth Movement.

The youth leaders asserted that there is a curious connection between the areas worst affected by displacement and the locations richly endowed with natural and mineral resources like fertile soils, water bodies, cassiterite, and columbite. They cited the Gashish District of Barkin Ladi LGA as a prime example, where Fulani groups have largely displaced native farmers and now dominate local economic activities.

“The exploitation and domination of our people is evident at local produce markets and transport businesses in and around Gashish District,” added S.D. Dankaka, President of the Mwagavwul Youth Movement.

The groups expressed deep frustration with the Nigerian government’s feeble response so far, accusing security agents of making token arrests only to release suspects on “orders from above.” They demanded that the international community apply diplomatic pressure to compel the government to take decisive action.

“A situation where few arrests are made and hurriedly released is not only unjust but totally unacceptable, as this constitutes a grievous disservice to humanity,” stated Paul Dekete, Chairman of the Indigenous Youth Coalition.

While acknowledging the Plateau State Government’s passion for returning IDPs to their lands and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s pledge to address insecurity, the youth leaders underscored that the magnitude of the crisis requires international intervention and support for Governor Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang’s “Time is Now” administration.

“We strongly believe that the good intention of the Governor of Plateau needs to be concretized through a marshall plan for rehabilitation, reconstruction, and resettlement of victims across the affected Local Government Areas,” said D.S. Mwantiri, President of the Berom Youth Moulders Association.

In a poignant conclusion, the groups argued that the plight of the victims stems from a weak system that fails to guarantee their safety or enforce their inalienable human rights. They called on the international community to either pressure the Nigerian government into transparent action or invoke multilateral diplomatic resources to respond to the worsening humanitarian crisis in Plateau State and the Middle Belt region.

“Our people are plagued because of a weak and reluctant system that hardly guarantees their safety nor enforces their rights as human beings,” declared Christopher Luka, President of the Ron Youth Movement. “The world cannot stand idly by in the face of such injustice.”

As the press conference drew to a close, the resounding chants of “Long Live Plateau Indigenous Youth Bodies,” “Long Live Plateau State,” and “Long Live the Federal Republic of Nigeria” echoed through the halls, a defiant cry for justice and a call to action that can no longer be ignored.

Genocidal Killings in the Middle Belt of Nigeria-Perspectives, Facts and Fugures

…first published on Wrong Speak newspaper.

On Monday morning at nine o’clock, Christians from Plateau state in the so-called Middlebelt of Nigeria came together to call for an end to the genocidal killings that have wounded and damaged their communities for decades. The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) spearheaded the event in response to the ongoing terrorist attacks in Plateau and other parts of Nigeria. The protesters marched to the Governor House of Plateau, where former lawyer Caleb Mutfwang, sits in office. In front of the gathered group of protesters, he stated that he did not come as a governor to: “preside over burial ceremonies, but that it was time to move from the book of Lamentations to the book of Acts.” During the peace rally in front of the Governor House, Plateau state church leaders submitted a petition to Mutfwang to put an end to the killings.

This was not the first peace rally in Plateau, last Saturday there was a demonstration in the state capital Jos as well. Wednesday, January 10th, there will be a demonstration in London, England as well and another one is scheduled in Abuja, the capital of Nigeria, on the 17th of this month. On social media Christians from the Middlebelt have held several debate groups, which I joined a few times to hear their stories. From what I have learned, there is a growing sense of the need to join strength and unite for a more safe and secure future of Christians in the Middlebelt. 

Genocidal campaign

According to a 2022 report by Genocide Watch, fourteen Christians are killed daily and 420 monthly in southern Kaduna, Benue and Plateau states. In fact, Genocide Watch published a Genocide Emergency Alert concerning Nigeria in December 2022 in which it stated that: “Nigeria is currently undergoing one of the deadliest genocides in the world. More people die in Nigeria every month than in Ukraine.” 

Greg Stanton, founding president and chairman of Genocide Watch, said that: “Fulani militants are committing human rights violations and massacres against Christians. This is not a herdsmen versus farmers conflict, but a genocidal war between ethnic groups, fueled by Islamic extremists with modern weapons.”

Christian persecution watchdog, Open Doors, writes that there are Islamic preachers from Saudi-Arabia and Iran joining the Fulani militant groups. According to Open Doors there is an agenda to spread Islam and turn Nigeria into an Islamic state.

Herdsmen or Jihadists?

Christians in Plateau, Benue, Kogi, Kwara and other Middlebelt states, have been defensively murdered, abducted, raped, robbed and forced to flee for years. In April 2023 Fulani jihadists beheaded a 5-year old boy in Southern Kaduna. In August 2021, Thomas Wollo (46) was beheaded together with his 7-year old son, Nggwe in Plateau. Second, these attacks often take place during church services or at nighttime when people are either sleeping, or getting ready for bed. For example, a 25-year old seminary student, Na’aman Dalami, was killed when Fulani jihadists burned down the house of the parish priest where the young man was serving. Already in bed, he could not escape the fire and was burned alive. 

During the peace rally in Plateau last Monday morning, people held up signs saying: “It is not a clash, it is pure terrorism” and “Terrorists are not natives.” One of the elements in the petition that the church leaders handed to governor Mutfwang on Monday addresses the question whether we are talking about herdsmen or jihadists.These messages are in sharp contrast with the predominant narrative, both in Nigeria and the international press, that the ongoing massacre of mostly Christians from the Middlebelt is a clash between herdsmen and farmer communities. 

This idea in Nigeria and the West alike, that we are dealing with a confrontation or conflict between two involved parties; nomadic, predominantly Muslim, herdsmen and sedentary, often Christian, farmers is an often repeated narrative. According to  CNN it is an “escalating conflict between herders and farmers,” Al-Jazeera describes it as a “grazing conflict between nomadic herders and sedentary farmers.” These are only two examples of a widespread narrative. On the other hand, Genocide Watch speaks of Jihadists Herdsmen and the International Organisation for Peace-building & Social Justice (PSJ), the International Committee On Nigeria (ICON), politicians such as Baroness Cox of the United Kingdom’s Hous of Lords and retired member of United States Congress, Mr Frank Wolf, in a joined report refer to the Fulanis as extremists or militants. International Christian Concern (ICC) also speaks of Fulani militants, a name also used when the Global Terror Index in 2014 named them the world’s fourth deadliest terror group. 

There is a serious discrepancy between what politicians and the experts say on the one hand, parroted by the media, and the analyses of human rights organizations when it comes to the murderous attacks on Christians in Nigeria’s Middle Belt states. Delineating the beheading of innocent people, including children, during their weakest or most vulnerable moments as a clash between two groups having a dispute over grazing land is misleading, only allowed to hold because of the media’s lack of reporting on what happens on a daily basis in Nigeria. 

On top of this, Nigerian Christian journalists, such as Steven Kefas and Luka Binniyat, who reported about the massacres on Christians in their land, have been arrested and imprisoned. 

SK “The Kaduna state government traveled about 800 kilometers to River state where I used to work and they abducted me. They did not arrest me, because there was no warrant for that arrest, I was abducted.”

Climate Change

Another favorite theme, when trying to analyze the ongoing persecution in Nigeria, is that this is all due to climate change. A while ago I spoke with Nigerian Christian journalist Steven Kefas and asked him about this narrative:

SK “It has nothing to do with climate change. They bring in climate change to deceive the international community and some gullible Nigerians, but we here in Nigeria, we have loved ones being killed, we have witnessed these attacks, we know that the attackers just come in to kill people. Sometimes when they kill people, they tell them: “Why don’t you call on your God to come and defend you?”  There is a lady I interviewed, who was taken by these terrorists, she was raped and molested in the forest and they told her: “You say you have a God, why don’t you call your God to come and safe you from our hand?” This tells you that these people have an agenda, it is a jihadist agenda, that is not just restricted or limited to Nigeria. It is an agenda that is across Africa, we have them in Mali, Somalia, Guinea and some other places. So that is what is on the plate and it has nothing to do with climate change.”

Talking Politics

Former president of Nigeria, Buhari, is a Fulani Muslim himself. During his administration the Nigerian government, according to Genocide Watch, turned a blind eye to the Fulani massacres of Christians. Genocide Watch, in the same report, also stated that the United State Department is in full denial of the Fulani massacres of Christians. According to Open Doors there are alarming reports that show deliberate neglect and sometimes even complicity of the Nigerian Security Forces with regard to these deadly attacks by Fulani militants. Buhari, according to Open Doors, has “openly and publicly admitted knowledge of the atrocities, often adducing justifications for the criminals.”

When Trump left office, he had put Nigeria on the list of ‘Countries of Particular Concern’ after the United States Commission for International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) had been advising the government to do so for several years. This is a list of countries that violate religious freedom. Then, when Biden took office, Nigeria was taken off of this blacklist and Secretary of State Blinken had a virtual meeting with then Nigerian president Buhari in which they wanted to “strengthen their communal interests” as it was called. I asked Mr Kefas what he thought of that decision, considering that by then it was already widely known that there was a genocide happening on the Nigerian Christian population, specifically in the Middlebelt region. Climate change, security, a strategic partnership, all was brought to the table, except the murdering of Christians. 

SK “As to your question why the United States took Nigeria off of the list ‘Countries of Particular Concern’, well unfortunately only the Biden administration can answer that question.” 

SK “The current administration in the USA seems to be more concerned about their own interests, they don’t seem to be interested in human rights, the rights of Christians across the world or traditional worshippers across the world. Whatever is going to affect their interest, they don’t joke with it. I think that is what is really top on their priority list right now.”

In addition to this, on January 4th of this year, the State Department published a list of countries that violate religious freedom. Nigeria is not mentioned and yet, Christians are murdered during church services or specifically targeted during Christian holidays, as we have seen recently when over 200 Christians were massacred on Christmas Eve in Plateau state. And, equally important, the Fulani militants are not mentioned in the same document as part of the Entities of Particular Concern, whereas for example Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa, both active in Nigeria, are listed as such. Yet, the Fulani militants commit crimes that are no different from those committed by Boko Haram, i.e. killing, raping, plundering, kidnapping, using coercion, intimidation and installing fear among the Christian population of the Middlebelt. 

One of the ten points on the agenda, submitted to the governor of Plateau State, Mr Wutfang on Monday, is to recognize the Fulani militants as such: “We unanimously call on the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice as a matter of urgency, to initiate the process of officially proscribing the armed terrorist militias responsible for these mindless killings. They should be officially designated as terrorists. This will give the military the power to fully engage them as provided in the Terrorism Act of 2022.”

This demand is repeated by the many Nigerian Christians I speak almost daily. Recognize the militants as such, to give the armed forces the tools to deal with the massacres in a proper way. It would also allow for a clear distinction between Fulani herdsmen who are indeed looking for grazing land for their cattle and armed militias who massacre innocent citizens and drive them away from their ancestral lands, driven by a radical agenda to conquer the land and spread Islam. This becomes even more apparent when we realize that Fulani militants are also active in neighboring countries such as Chad and Cameroon, to combine forces may be the best way forward if we can agree who we are fighting against. 

Military neutralizes 39 terrorists, arrests 157, rescues 109 hostages

Troops of the armed forces eliminated 39 terrorists, apprehended 159 others and rescued 109 hostages in different operations in the last two weeks

Director, Defence Media Operations, Maj.-Gen. Edward Buba, said this on Thursday in Abuja at a bi-weekly news briefing on military operations across the country.

He said troops of Operation Hadin Kai ambushed and arrested Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists in Gwoza and Tarmuwa Local Government Areas of Borno and Yobe, respectively in the Northeast.

He said that the offensive led to the surrender by some terrorists at Gwoza area of Borno and resulted in the elimination of some others; the rescue of hostages and the recovery of arms and ammunition.

He added that in another operation, troops neutralised 11 terrorists, arrested 45 others and rescued 34 hostages within the period and recovered a large cache of arms and ammunition.

According to him, troops recovered six AK47 rifles, one HK21 gun, one GPMG, one fabricated gun, 11 AK47 magazines and 34 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition.

They also recovered 17 rounds of 7.62mm NATO, one bandolier, and seven empty cases of 7.62mm special, five motorcycles, eight mobile phones and N368, 950.

Buba said the air component of the operations acquired and engaged terrorists’ enclaves at Wulde in Borno, adding that the outcome was being monitored.

He said that in the North Central, troops of Operation Safe Haven neutralised two gunmen, rescued three hostages and arrested 15 crime suspects during the period.

He added that the troops arrested two suspects in Jema’a Local Government Area of Kaduna State, one of whom was a notorious armed robber on the wanted list of a security agency.

According to him, troops recovered three AK47 rifles, one fabricated AK47 rifles, one fabricated pistol, one Dane gun and 41 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition in the state.

Operation Whirl Stroke the North Central also arrested a member of notorious violent extremist group in Ukum Local Government Area of Benue, neutralised terrorists and rescued hostages.

Buba said troops recovered one FN rifle, five rounds of 7.62mm NATO, and neutralised two terrorists, arrested 11 suspects and rescued six hostages.

The defence spokesman said troops of Operation Hadarin Daji in the Northwest neutralised 12 terrorists, arrested 33 others, rescued 40 hostages and recovered three AK47 rifles, 18 motorcycles and three mobile phones.

Buba also told newsmen that the air component of the military operations conducted an interdiction of terrorists at Sububu Forest in Kankara Local Government Area of Katsina State and degraded terrorists at the location.

Credit: Zagazola