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It’s A Lie Not Foreign Herders Responsible for Plateau,Benue, Other Crises- Miyetti Allah Declares
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… insists it’s political
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
The National Secretary of the Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore Fulani Socio-cultural Association, Saleh Alhassan, has claimed that politicians are the real cause of the crisis in Plateau State, not herders.
He made the claim on Friday during an appearance on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief, where he spoke about national security and the farmer-herder conflict.
He spoke against Defence Headquarters comments that foreign herders were behind attacks in Plateau, Benue, and other parts of the country.
Recall that the Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Markus Kangye, made the statement on Thursday during a media briefing in Abuja.
However, Alhassan dismissed that explanation, calling it “misleading” and “politically motivated.” He said: “The notion and narrative of foreign herders is a distraction. It is a continuation of efforts to deny Nigerian herders their citizenship and a major challenge to achieving peace, especially concerning the farmers-herders conflict.”
On the Plateau crisis, he said: “I schooled and grew up in Plateau, so I know the root causes of these crises. The recent conflict in Bokkos, for instance, started over a motorcycle theft, not grazing or land use. But suddenly, every conflict is labelled a farmer-herder clash.”
He also stated: “If Governor Caleb Mutfwang wants to be sincere, he knows this conflict is political.
There is a clear agenda to expel herders from Plateau State. His political godfather, former Governor Jonah Jang, has been a driver of that narrative, and it has been renewed again.”
Speaking further, he said: “Peaceful herders have no business with banditry. But when governors abandon conventional law enforcement and empower ethnic militias, injustices are committed against herders. In such a setting, herders resort to self-help.”
“We are heading into another election season, and suddenly conflicts are being reignited and mischaracterised as herder-farmer clashes. In Plateau, for instance, this is not even the cropping season, yet such narratives are being pushed. These are pretentious statements. Treat criminals as criminals, treat bandits as bandits.”
Our herders are not armed. What we have are armed bandits in our forests, who are mistakenly or deliberately labelled as herders. We’ve lost many herders and thousands of cattle, yet we’re still accused as the perpetrators.”
“Most of the images we see of armed herders are not even from Nigeria.” And concluded: “There are no foreign herders in North Central Nigeria. What exists in some border communities are bandits and criminals, not genuine herders.”
He accused authorities of ignoring the suffering of herders.
It’s always convenient for security agencies to blame us to avoid engaging in deep conversations that address the root cause of these issues. Let them parade those arrested and show us their nationalities. It’s not just about Fulfulde, Fulani or the language they speak.”
He admitted the difficulty of tracking herders, saying their nomadic lifestyle makes it hard, even though the association keeps a register.
To resolve the issue, Alhassan said integration of livestock across the country should be implemented.
His comments come amid renewed violence in Nigeria’s Middle Belt, including recent attacks in Bokkos and Bassa LGAs in Plateau State, which claimed over 100 lives in April 2025
Troops of Operation ENDURING PEACE, OPEP, in collaboration with the Civilian Joint Task Force, CJTF, have arrested a suspected kidnapper linked to the abduction of a resident in Kauru Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
This was contained in a statement posted on X by the Nigerian Army.
The post identified the suspect as Buba Ali, 30, adding that he was arrested at about 12:45 pm on Sunday, August 9, at Binawa village in Kauru Local Government Area.
According to post, the suspect was arrested during a joint operation conducted by troops of Sector 7 OPEP and members of the CJTF.
It said the suspect was reportedly linked to the kidnapping of Alhaji Tasi, who was abducted in the village.
“Following his arrest, Ali was taken into custody and is currently being interrogated by security personnel.
“The ongoing investigation is focused on obtaining information that could lead to the identification and arrest of other members of the suspected kidnapping gang,” the Army said.
Nigerian ambassador to South Africa, Femi Fani-Kayode, has rejected claims by an Islamic scholar, Sheikh Yahaya Jingir, that Nigeria is a Muslim country.
In a viral video, Sheikh Jingir, who was preaching to Muslims at an event, said “if you don’t want to accept a Muslim-Muslim ticket, you should leave Nigeria because it belongs to us”.
The comment has continued to generate backlash online as Christians rejected the claim.
Reacting, Fani-kayode in a statement posted on his official X handle on Sunday night, said the cleric’s remark is unhelpful and untrue.
“Worse of all is the fact that it is highly provocative,” the former aviation minister said.
“Kindly take note that it is a very slippery and dangerous slope to take and is best avoided. Nigeria is NOT a Muslim country and neither is she a Christian country.
“She is a SECULAR and MULTI-RELIGIOUS state comprising BOTH Christians and Muslims in equal numbers and that is our strength,” FFK added.
He further stated that President Bola Tinubu’s Muslim/Muslim ticket for 2027 is gaining acceptance “only because of the calibre, ability, sincerity of purpose, character, utility and electoral strength of our Presidential and Vice Presidential candidates and their ability to deliver and not because they are Muslims”.
“One day we may have a Christian/Christian ticket too because with God all things are possible,” he added.
The Osun State Police Command has confirmed the release of the state Commissioner for Environment and Sanitation, Moyowa Adejoorin, who was arrested in connection with a shooting incident at an All Progressives Congress, APC, rally in Ilesa.
The incident occurred on Saturday and reportedly left four people injured, including a teenager identified as Tobi Ilesanmi.
The command’s spokesperson, DSP Abiodun Ojelabi, said Adejoorin was taken into custody after police officers arrived at the scene, secured the area and began collecting evidence.
According to Ojelabi, the commissioner’s vehicle was stopped at the location, where an Amotekun operative allegedly linked to the shooting was also found.
“Immediately the incident was reported, our personnel moved to the scene and cordoned off the area before some exhibits were recovered, which included expended cartridges and Amotekun personnel caps.
“Also, Mr Adejoorin was arrested at the scene and taken to the command for questioning as part of the investigation process,” Ojelabi said.
The development came amid heightened attention to the incident after a video circulated on social media on Sunday showing Adejoorin leaving the police command.
Confirming the development, Ojelabi told Vanguard that the commissioner had been released on bail but said he was still awaiting clarification on the status of the Amotekun operative who was arrested alongside him.
“It is true that the commissioner has been released on bail today, but I am yet to clear the situation with the Amotekun personnel arrested with him,” he said.
Police investigations into the circumstances surrounding the shooting are ongoing.
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