‘There’s genocide, ethnic cleansing against Fulani people in Plateau – Gan Allah Chairman alleges

Chairman of the Plateau State chapter of the Gan Allah Fulani Development Association, Garba Abdullahi Muhammed, has alleged that there is a genocide against the Fulani people in the state.

Muhammed, who also doubles as the Chairman of Coalition of Fulani Registered Organizations in the state, also accused local indigenes of launching an ethnic cleansing campaign against Fulanis, with a systemic plan to chase them out of the state.

He insisted that such moves will not materialize as Fulani people are also indigenes of Plateau State and they will not go anywhere.

While addressing the Fulani community in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area on Friday, Muhammed said contrary to widely held belief that the persistent attacks and killings in several communities in the state are being perpetrated by Fulani bandits, investigations by his group have revealed that herders and their families have been on the receiving end as they are often targeted for extermination.

The group chairman stressed that over the years, thousands of Fulani herders have been killed, which can be justified as genocide and ethnic cleansing against them. Still, the narratives are always turned to make the Fulani people look like the aggressors.

“The cries of the Fulani community in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area deserve to be heard with fairness, compassion, and urgency,” Muhammed said.

He further accused security agencies, especially operatives of the Directorate of State Services, DSS, of conducting illegal raids on Fulani communities in the council where they arrest their members indiscriminately, confiscate their properties, and rape their women.

“Allegations of rights violations by security operatives should never be ignored; they must be investigated transparently, impartially, and in accordance with the rule of law,” he said.

“Our grazing reserves have been taken over by bandits and local militia gangs who also kidnap our people and rustle our livestock, which are our only means of livelihood. We need the government to come to our aid because we have suffered so much.

“We appeal to the soldiers to enable our herders to utilize grazing fields without challenges, having been compelled to congregate in a single location.

“There is genocide and ethnic cleansing against the Fulani people in Plateau State, and we know they are doing all these things to chase us out of the state. But have repeatedly told them that we are going nowhere. 

“We are also indigenes of Plateau State, and no one can force us out of our state. Every Nigerian, regardless of ethnicity or background, deserves dignity, justice, and protection under the law. We call on the relevant authorities to ensure that the truth is established, innocent lives are protected, and justice is served without fear or prejudice.

“Silence in the face of alleged injustice only deepens pain. Let humanity, accountability, and the rule of law prevail.

“We call on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to call on Governor Caleb Mutfwang to intervene in this crisis and get justice for the Fulani people in this state.

“We have also resolved to petition the United Nations, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and other relevant bodies and agencies to intervene in these flagrant cases of human rights abuse and infringements on the dignity of the Fulani people,” Muhammed stated.