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.
This comes after the Defence Headquarters said that foreign herders were behind attacks in Plateau, Benue, and other parts of the country. 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.
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The foreign herders also contribute to the problem .
They are mostly going around with guns and machetes entering people’s farms with impunity and aggression.
If the locals challenge them,they start gunning them down.
It happened in my village,Ito,in ODUKPANI, Cross River State.
Can someone show me any Fulani man that is truly a Nigerian?
He is being economical with the truth, so all the herders are Nigerian which is not the truth. He is trying to be Smart, making the foreign fulanis from other countries are Nigerians. It’s not true, he knows the fact, even there’s variation in the way they speak. Selfishness must give way and, the sanity of lives must be upheld at all times. A situation where cows are more sacred to human must be condemned . Some of them talk with air of authority giving impression they are above the law. Government must be serious in dealing with this wanton killings that have become a daily occurrence. Has going about with AK 47 is now legal and, they do it without persecution thus emboldened them.
He is being economical with the truth, so all the herders are Nigerian which is not the truth. He is trying to be Smart, making the foreign fulanis from other countries are Nigerians. It’s not true, he knows the fact, even there’s variation in the way they speak. Selfishness must give way and, the sanity of lives must be upheld at all times. A situation where cows are more sacred to human must be condemned . Some of them talk with air of authority giving impression they are above the law. Government must be serious in dealing with this wanton killings that have become a daily occurrence. Has going about with AK 47 now legal and, they do it without persecution thus emboldened them.
They are foreigners most of them don’t or can speak Ahuasa language.
I don’t blame him, I blame our so called Nigeria army that has refused to take d war to these fulanis camps in Their hideout in the bush.
The last statement on integration…. With deep agenda.
This is an agenda, they local Fulanis are aware of it, they invited them to come and help them. Our government is aware of the atrocities committed by the Fulanis but they don’t want to come out stop it. Some senators have cattles, they gave it this Fulanis and bought guns and gave it to them, that’s why if you bring the issue of Fulani hersmen they don’t support it. They know what is going on
You are only defending evil all of you are one and the same.
Alhassan should be shown video clips of herders feeding their cattles with cassava they uproots and let’s hear what he would; whether it’s political or ethnical.
You’re right my brother
For no reason should someone allow himself to be used as an instrument of evil and wicked killings.
Be it foreign or local heardsmem, the perpetrators and sponsors must be brought to book.
Evil blood suckers!