Non-indigenous Fulani Ethnic Militias Occupy 80 Percent of Local Governance Areas
By Mike Odeh James and Olikita Ekani
(Makurdi) Roman Catholic priests in Benue State, known for its prime agricultural lands, have exposed the devastating impact of Fulani militia terrorist attacks on the indigenous people of the state.
In an exclusive interview with TruthNigeria correspondents in Makurdi, senior Catholic clergyman Rev. Father Remigius Ihyula, coordinator of the Foundation for Justice, Peace, and Development Committee, Catholic Diocese of Makurdi, and Catholic chaplain of Benue State University, Makurdi, revealed how many indigenous Benue people have been murdered and displaced by Fulani terrorists in raids that have been ongoing for years.
Fr. Ihyula shared the shocking toll of Fulani ethnic militia terrorism on Benue indigenous people.
“Many have been murdered, maimed, or displaced in relentless raids spanning years,” Father Ihyula stated. “These attacks have crippled farming, displaced thousands, and severely restricted church operations in the embattled region.”
Some radicalized criminals hailing from Nigeria’s Fulani tribe, an ethnic group in Africa’s Sahel region, have unleashed a reign of terror across Nigeria, especially Benue State.
According to the Observatory for Religious Freedom in Africa, Fulani ethnic militia (FEM) have killed more Christians in Nigeria than Boko Haram.
For more than 15 years, FEM have been seizing ancestral lands of Benue leaving destruction and despair in their wake. Innocent lives are lost, communities shattered, and hope dwindle, according to the priest.
Father Ihyula explained that Fulani attacks in Benue State have had a devastating impact. “The greatest challenge facing the Church and the Benue State is the displacement of vast numbers of our people,” he said.
He further stated that these attacks have resulted in hundreds of thousands of deaths, destruction of agricultural lands, and displacement of more than 2 million indigenous Benue residents, chiefly Catholics.
“According to statistics put out by the former Governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom, we have had about 2 million IDPs in Benue State since 2023, Fr. Ihyula said.
“The activities of the Fulani terrorists in Benue had also led to the death of thousands of people,” he said
Fulani terrorists engaged in landgrab
The Fulani terrorists, who are predominantly Muslims, seek to seize control of Benue’s fertile agricultural lands for cattle grazing and occupy the land to establish an Islamic state, according to Fr. Ihyula.
“It is all about seizing the lands and changing the demography of Benue State. The Fulani terrorists want to seize the fertile lands of Benue, chase away the people from the land, and occupy the lands for themselves,” he said.
Gwer West Alone Accounts For 1 Million IDPS—Fr. Bua.
Fr. Cletus Bua, Catholic Priest of St. Francis Xavier Parish in Agagbe, Gwer-West County, shared his concerns with TruthNigeria (TN) about the devastating impact of Fulani Ethnic Militia on his community. Gwer West is a powerhouse of agriculture with a population that matches the State of Illinois in the United States. Gwer West has endured the murder of 258 civilians by Fulani Ethnic Militias (FEM) during the period from 2019 to 2023, according to the Observatory for Religious Freedom in Africa.
“We’ve been confronting the Fulani terrorist menace for about 20 years in Gwer-West,” Fr. Bua said. “As I speak, 8 out of 15 council wards are under Fulani Jihadist occupation.”
Fr. Bua highlighted the staggering consequences:
“Over 1 million Christians, mostly Catholics, have been displaced from their ancestral homes. Hundreds have been kidnapped, and thousands have been killed.”
UN agencies undercount the number of IDP’s in Benue, claiming that Nigeria has only
1.09 million IDP’s spread out over several Middle Belt States. The actual number is far higher according to witnesses in Benue and Kaduna states who have spoken to TruthNigeria.
“This is not an exaggeration,” he said with emphasis. You can go there and see things yourself. To access any of the communities from which people fled, you must be accompanied by the military.”
Fr. Bua explained the displacement’s impact:
“The displaced persons have relocated to southern Nigeria, abandoning their farmlands and livelihoods. My parish, St. Francis Xavier, is severely affected. Many have moved to Benin, [the capital of] Edo State, while their families remain in internally displaced persons (IDP) camps in Agagbe.”
Fr. Bua appealed for support: “The Justice and Peace Development Commission of the Catholic Church and occasionally the state government provide some support, while the federal government remains unresponsive.”
Nineteen Counties Under Attack
Out of the 23 counties (Local Governance Areas) in Benue State, only four are presently safe from Fulani terrorist attacks, according to Fr. Ihyula. A cursory look at Benue State’s map reveals widespread attacks and displacement by Fulani terrorists.
Fr. Ihyula identified the targets of Fulani attacks in Benue State as Guma, Gwer-West, Gwer-East, Kwande, Ukum, Logo, Agatu, and Apa counties.
Logo, Ukum, and Kwande are attacked by Fulani terrorists from Taraba State, while the other counties are attacked by Fulani Jihadists crossing from Nasarawa and Kogi, he said.
The result of these attacks has caused the creation of 13 squalid Internally Displaced People (IDP) camps, he said. Fr. Ihyula reiterated that the attacks, kidnappings, and killings are not caused by grazing disputes with the Fulani cattle herders but rather the result of land-grabbing attacks on Benue land by FEM, displacing people, and changing the demography. By contrast, there are no internally displaced people’s camps for Fulani people.
Nigerian Military Refused To Fight Fulani Terrorists—Clerics
The people of Benue State are facing two devastating challenges: constant attacks by Fulani mercenaries on the one hand, and on the other hand, the Nigerian military’s decision to stand down.
“When a particular community is under attack by Fulani terrorists, the military always arrives after the terrorists have attacked and left,” he told TruthNigeria. When asked if military inaction witnessed under former President Muhammadu’s administration had changed under President Bola Tinubu, Fr. Ihyula replied, “Nothing has changed; the military seems uninterested in stopping the Fulani’s.”
Fr. Bua emphasized that Fulani attacks in the state are surging. He identified three key areas along the River Benue where Fulani terrorists cross from Nasarawa State to attack and displace locals: Gidan-Pepa, Achukpa, and Ogbaji. Fr. Bua said he suggested establishing military bases in areas known to be flashpoints, but the government opted for locations far from them.
Federal Government in Denial
Fr. Ihyula decried what he called denial of the ongoing Fulani terrorist activities in Benue.
“Unfortunately, the Federal Government is unwilling to admit that Fulani terrorists are engaging in mass killings and land-grabbing in Benue,” the chaplain said.
All attempts by TruthNigeria correspondents to get Fulani’s side of the story through the National President of Miyatti Allah Kautal Hore (a Fulani Socio-cultural group), Alhaji Bello Abdullahi Badejo and the National Secretary, Alhassan Saleh yielded no result as their phones did not answer.
Similar attempts were made to the National President of Miyatti Allah Cattle Breeder Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), Baba Othman Ngelzama but office holders did not answer.
Mike Odeh James and Olikita Ekani are conflict reporters for TruthNigeria.
