Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
A Fulani youth leader in Bassa Local Government Area of Plateau State, Umar Yusuf, has levelled a grave accusation against security agencies, alleging that operatives are colluding with local militia groups to attack, kill, and extort Fulani herders while rustling their cattle. Yusuf made the allegations on Saturday, August 1, 2026, during a town hall meeting convened by the Kautal Pulaaku Fulbe Association of Nigeria (KPFAN), according to a report by Daily Post published on Monday, August 3, 2026.
Yusuf claimed that security personnel in the council area regularly conduct raids alongside local Irigwe youths, during which they attack innocent herders, kill them, and seize their livestock. He described the practice as a long-standing issue that has worsened in recent times. "What has been happening in Bassa and other parts of Plateau State is a very worrisome situation," Yusuf said. "You will be surprised to hear that security personnel connive with local Irigwe militants to attack Fulani herdsmen during raids on Fulani communities."
According to the youth leader, these raids often result in casualties, with cows seized from communities and later returned only after the owners pay substantial sums of money. "Our cattle are seized and stolen from us and taken to a military camp for days, weeks and sometimes months without an iota of reason for farm encroachment whatsoever," he stated. "We will then have to pay huge sums of money to get them back from the security people. We, the Fulani herders, face severe economic backwardness as a result of this. We deserve protection as much as others."
Yusuf cited a specific incident on July 30, 2026, when some Fulani herders were allegedly attacked by armed Irigwe youths alongside security personnel at Ancha village in the local government area. He said six cows were killed and others severely injured in what he described as an unprovoked attack, while a herdsman identified as Muhammadu Rebo was killed while grazing peacefully without encroaching on any farmland.
The allegations have added to the long-standing tensions between farming and herding communities in Plateau State, where cycles of violence have left thousands dead and many more displaced over the years. The Bassa Local Government Area, in particular, has been a flashpoint for communal clashes, with both sides accusing each other of perpetrating violence and the authorities of failing to protect civilians.
The Kautal Pulaaku Fulbe Association of Nigeria (KPFAN), which hosted the town hall meeting, has not yet issued an official statement on the allegations. Security agencies in Plateau State have also not responded to the specific claims made by Yusuf. However, similar allegations have been made in the past. In July 2026, a coalition of youth groups under the Plateau Indigenous Youths Nationalities dismissed allegations by the Fulani community in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area accusing operatives of the Directorate of State Services (DSS) of intimidation, harassment, and sexual assault.
The accusations also come amid ongoing legal proceedings against members of ethnic militias in Benue State, where a court is prosecuting suspected members of Fulani and Idoma militias linked to ethnic killings. The broader context of farmer-herder conflicts across Nigeria's Middle Belt continues to fuel mistrust between communities and security agencies, with each side accusing the other of complicity in violence. Yusuf's allegations, if substantiated, would represent a serious indictment of security forces and their role in the region's protracted conflict, raising urgent questions about the conduct of security personnel and the protection of civilian lives.
📩 Stone Reporters News | 🌍 stonereportersnews.com
✉️ info@stonereportersnews.com | 📘 Facebook: Stone Reporters News | 🐦 X (Twitter): @StoneReportNew | 📸 Instagram: @stonereportersnews
Add comment
Comments