The Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore Fulani Socio-Cultural Association has claimed that political interests—not herders—are to blame for the ongoing crisis in Plateau State.
Speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Friday, the association’s National Secretary, Saleh Alhassan, denied that herders were involved in the spate of violence that has rocked the state in recent times. He described the prevailing narrative linking herders, especially foreigners, to the killings in the Middle Belt as “misleading” and “politically motivated.”
Alhassan argued that the portrayal of foreign herders as perpetrators is a deliberate attempt to delegitimize Nigerian herders and obstruct peaceful resolutions to the long-standing farmer-herder conflict.
“The notion and narrative of foreign herders is a distraction. It’s part of a broader effort to strip Nigerian herders of their citizenship rights and prevent lasting peace,” he said.
Addressing the Plateau crisis specifically, Alhassan described the situation as deeply politicised. He cited the recent violence in Bokkos, attributing it to a dispute over a stolen motorcycle rather than grazing land or farming disputes.
“I grew up and went to school in Plateau, so I understand the roots of these crises. The Bokkos incident had nothing to do with grazing, yet it was quickly framed as a farmer-herder clash,” he noted.
He also criticized the rise of ethnic militias operating under the guise of local vigilante groups, claiming that peaceful herders are often forced to defend themselves due to biased security responses.
Alhassan accused certain politicians of exploiting insecurity for personal gain and called for a more objective approach to addressing criminality in the region.
“Criminal acts must be confronted directly, without ethnic profiling or political manipulation,” he said.
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