Local People Want Both Soldiers and Fulani Herders Out of Their Communities
By Lawrence Zongo
(Jos) The tragedy of Nigeria’s Armed Forces Remembrance Day in Plateau State 2025 is that a Christian farmer was slashed to death by five criminals within full sight of Nigerian soldiers, according to witnesses.
Mr. Adamu Agash, a leader of volunteer guards was slashed to death by the men carrying machetes at approximately 11:00 am Jan. 15, according to eye-witness Zibe Joseph, 30 who was tilling his land nearby. “They came at me, too, on the farm with machetes and knives,” Joseph told TruthNigeria from his hospital bed in a makeshift government health clinic in the village of Nzharivo. Joseph said he saw five men coming with machetes.
TruthNigeria can confirm the report of eyewitnesses that the distance between the murder site and the manned military checkpoint was between 100 and 200 meters.
Later in the day, which Nigerian Television celebrated as Armed Forces Remembrance Day 2025 with military pomp and ceremony, Chief Daniel Chega, the Paramount Ruler of Miango District in Plateau State, Nigeria, mourned another senseless murder of an unarmed farmer.
Chega recounted the tragic killing of Agash, a local vigilante officer, by Fulani extremists as Agash worked on his irrigation farm in Nzharivo Village. “Fulani killed a vigilante officer in the presence of Nigerian soldiers,” Chief Chega told his tribal constituency.
According to Chega, Agash saw armed men approaching and had instructed his children to flee for their safety, believing that the presence of Nigerian soldiers at a nearby checkpoint would protect him. However, the attackers slashed Agash on his head and neck with machetes, all within view of the soldiers.
This brutal attack also left three local farmers injured, intensifying calls for justice and better protection for farmers in the region. Mary Phar Irigwe, the National Women’s Leader, highlighted this vulnerability during a peaceful protest of military complicity in the murder on Jan. 15.
Elderly women, young women, and children joined the demonstration to demand justice. However, they were met with hostility, according to witnesses speaking to TruthNigeria.
In response to the violence and what they perceive as the inaction of security forces, local women organized an impromptu protest, demanding that Fulani herders and soldiers stationed in their communities leave. “We don’t want Fulani and the soldiers here,” they chanted, urging the Fulani to honor a 2022 peace agreement.
Public protests of Nigerian military’s complicity with anti-Christian violence have erupted before in several locations.
Despite the protest’s peaceful nature, the military used tear gas to disperse the demonstrators, further aggravating tensions. Rev. Dr. Daniel Gya, the National Leader of the Irigwe Development Association (IDA), condemned the destruction of farms and the arrests of local farmers on unsubstantiated allegations of poisoning cattle. He criticized the disparity in treatment between Rigwe people and herders, calling it “unacceptable and detrimental to peace.” He noted that many women, including a pregnant woman, were injured during the protest due to the excessive use of force.
The murder and maiming of local farmers in Nzharivo Village illustrated a pattern of sectarian murder in Northern Nigeria explored in the book, Silent Slaughter, published in 2020 by The International Committee on Nigeria (ICON).
Kyle Abts, Executive Director of ICON, emphasized the critical need for accountability and international attention to the crisis. “The brutal killing of Adamu Agash and the ongoing violence against Christian farming communities in Plateau State highlight the failure of local and federal authorities to protect vulnerable populations. The lack of justice perpetuates cycles of violence, leaving communities feeling abandoned and hopeless. The Nigerian government and international stakeholders must take decisive action to uphold the rule of law, hold perpetrators accountable, and ensure the safety and dignity of all citizens,” Abts told TruthNigeria.
The Rigwe Chiefdom, spanning Plateau and Southern Kaduna states, has endured ongoing violence from Fulani extremists since 2016. More than 2,000 residents have been killed, and attacks have targeted Christian farming communities, including minority Christian Fulani people.
His Royal Highness Rev. Ronku Aka (Rtd), the Paramount Ruler of Rigwe Land, strongly condemned the killing of Mr. Agash and criticized the actions of Operation Safe Haven (OPSH), a military task force deployed to maintain peace. HRH Ronku Aka accused OPSH of bias, citing their swift arrests of Rigwe individuals while herders implicated in violence face little accountability.
“The same urgency used to arrest my people should be applied to apprehend those who killed this gallant man,” Ronku Aka declared, calling for the immediate release of detained Rigwe individuals to ensure a fair investigation. He also appealed to Plateau State Governor Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang to intervene, emphasizing that justice was essential to maintaining peace in Rigwe land. “Justice for my people is non-negotiable,” he said, urging the community to remain calm and law-abiding.
Human-rights activist Gata Moses echoed these concerns, lamenting the military’s alleged negligence and human rights abuses. “I can’t remember the Nigerian soldiers for anything good,” Moses said, recalling his own experience of being tortured by soldiers for speaking up after massacres of local people.
Ronku Aka stressed the importance of upholding the 2022 peace agreement and fostering dialogue among stakeholders. “Restoring trust and ensuring long-term stability in the region is critical,” he concluded.
Lawrence Zongo is a conflict reporter for TruthNigeria.
