The National Secretary of the prominent Fulani socio-cultural association, Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, has made a grave accusation, stating that pastoralists from the Fulani community have endured a situation akin to genocide for a quarter of a century.
Decades of Violence and Criminalisation
Engineer Saleh Alhassan made these strong remarks during an appearance on Channels Television's Sunrise Daily programme on Thursday, December 4. He argued that the sustained violence against herders across multiple states constitutes the closest thing to genocide in Nigeria.
"If we must be honest in this country, if there is anything close to genocide in Nigeria, it's genocide against the Fulani pastoralists in the last 25 years across the country," Alhassan stated. He specifically mentioned states including Plateau, Benue, Zamfara, and Kebbi.
He detailed the plight of the herders, accusing state governments of enacting laws that deliberately target their livelihood. "Pastoralists have been deliberately targeted, killed, displaced, and some state governors even enacted laws that criminalised pastoralism," he claimed.
Criticism of Media and "Genocide Town Criers"
Alhassan criticised the prevailing media narrative, which he believes misrepresents the conflict and unfairly portrays Fulani communities as the sole aggressors. He insisted that these communities are frequently the victims of unprovoked attacks.
He also took aim at individuals he labelled "genocide town criers," accusing them of seeking international attention and foreign aid instead of using domestic channels. He cited an example of a bishop who took reports of violence in Benue State to the United States. "What he is looking for is foreign aid. He failed to contextualise the actual conflict," Alhassan said, questioning why institutions like the National Human Rights Commission and the Senate were bypassed.
He revealed that while the Senate had invited memoranda on resolving the farmer-herder crisis, Miyetti Allah had not been called to discuss its submission.
Recent Attacks and Call for Balanced Security
The Miyetti Allah secretary alleged a recent escalation in violence against pastoralists, which he linked to comments made by former US President Donald Trump. He claimed that in the last three weeks, herders have been "devastated" in Kebbi, Niger, and Benue States with little to no response from security agencies or media coverage.
"We have attacks on pastoralists in Kebbi State no action was taken. Attacks on pastoralists in Niger State; no action was taken. Attack on pastoralists in Benue State, Ohimini Local Government, precisely, for crimes they have not committed," he listed.
Alhassan argued that pastoralists are often blamed without evidence. "If there are conflicts in Benue, you accuse the pastoralist. After investigation, you will discover that even the locals are responsible for it," he contended.
While acknowledging that some herders might be involved in conflicts, he maintained that the widespread portrayal of all pastoralists as killers is false. He called for a comprehensive security strategy that identifies all perpetrators of violence fairly.
These allegations come at a time of heightened insecurity across northern Nigeria, where banditry, kidnappings, and clashes between farmers and herders continue to disrupt lives and the economy. Recent weeks have seen over 350 people abducted and at least 7 killed in various incidents, including mass kidnappings at schools and places of worship.
