Tribal Leaders in Benue and Plateau Demand Mobile Police Replace Army
By Mike Odeh James and Ekani Olikita
(Makurdi) Amid a crisis of genocidal attacks by Fulani ethnic militia, tribal leaders in the worst hit states are telling soldiers to stay in their barracks. But send in the motorized cops instead, say ethnic leaders to TruthNigeria.
Chief Daniel Abomtse, the Traditional King of Gwer-West County in Benue State and Solomon Daylop Mwantiri, National Chairman of Berom Youth Molders Association, are the latest Christian leaders in the region to join the bandwagon call to replace soldiers with police.
Premium Times reported the issue by deploying the stereotypical euphemism of “farmer-herder clashes,” but all knowledgeable observers of these attacks know that the attacking battalions of mercenaries are invariably armed men of the Fulani ethnicity, one of Northern Nigeria’s largest and most influential tribes. The great majority of Fulani people in Nigeria is Muslims. Benue State is 80 percent Catholic.
Who Are Fulanis?
The Fulani, a nomadic cattle-herding people across West Africa, make up approximately 6 percent of Nigeria’s population—around 13.6 million people. They are mostly Muslim, with only a small fraction who are Christian.
The Fulani Ethnic Militia (FEM), a poorly understood terrorist group, has been blamed for thousands of killings. The Observatory for Religious Freedom in Africa reports nearly 56,000 Nigerians killed between 2019 and 2023, with FEM responsible for much of it, especially in North-Central states and Southern Kaduna.
Only a small minority of Fulani are involved in the violence. Most remain peaceful herders, traders, and professionals— government spokesmen insist that stereotyping them risks fuelling dangerous ethnic tension.
Fulani Influence
The Fulani hold an important place in Nigeria’s political and social life. Former President Muhammadu Buhari, one of the country’s most influential leaders of the last decade, is Fulani. So is Nasir El-Rufai, a former governor of Kaduna State, and Mansur Dan Ali, a former defense minister.
Their influence extends beyond Nigeria. Amina J. Mohammed, the United Nations Deputy Secretary-General, and Tijjani Muhammad-Bande, a past president of the U.N. General Assembly, also come from Fulani heritage.
For many Nigerians, this creates a complex picture: while a small number of Fulani-linked militias are tied to violent attacks, the community is also represented by respected figures at the highest levels of government and diplomacy.
Complex Understory of Battles over Land: Jihad
The understory of virtually all violent village invasions in Nigeria’s Middle Belt is a complex struggle over land control as well as Islamist Jihad, according to experts interviewed by TruthNigeria.
Chief Daniel Abomtse, the Benue Traditional King urged the Nigeria military authority to withdraw all the military personnel deployed to Gwer-West County and replace them with Mobile-Police Forces, saying in a TruthNigeria interview that the military are colluding with Fulani terrorists attacking Christian villages with impunity.
“Let the Federal Government withdraw the military personnel currently operating in Gwer-West and replace them with Mobile-Policemen for effective Security operation because the soldiers are compromised and not are going against Fulani militia who are killing our people and destroying our crops,” the king said.
“Whenever Fulani terrorists are attacking our people or destroying our crops, the soldiers will come, shoot in the air and leave immediately, while Fulani militia continue with their attacks, destructions or killings unchallenged,” Abomtse went on to say. “I was in tears when I went to check my farm last Sunday, more than 70 percent of my farm has been destroyed,” he added.
“As I speak, Fulani and their cattle are openly grazing on our farms and have destroyed most farms in Gwer-West while the military are not challenging them despite the existence of Benue State Open Grazing Prohibition and Ranches Establishment Law in place
Col Lawal and his Ineffective Soldiers should Leave— Abomtse
Abomtse further alleged that the Commander of Operation Whirl Stroke (the Joint Military Taskforce) in charge of Gwer-West County, Colonel LA Lawal has been compromised and should be withdrawn along with his men.
“Col Lawal should withdraw his battalion from my land and be replaced by mobile policemen. I beg the Chief of Defense Staff, Gen Christopher Musa, and the Field Commander of Operation Whirl Stroke, Gen Moses Gara to quickly do the needful to stop the killings and destruction of our crops”, Abomtse said.
Plateau Leader Accuses Military of Collusion and Complicity
Solomon Daylop Mwantiri, National Chairman of Berom Youth Molders Association, while addressing journalists shortly after Fulani terrorists attacked and killed 27 persons in Bindi (Jebu) village, Tahoss community, Riyom LGA of Plateau State on Tuesday, July 15, 2025, condemned alleged collusion and complicity by some military officers.
“We got the hint of imminent attack on Bindi, we quickly informed the military, and they assured us that they were already on top of the situation. The Fulani Terrorists still came at 3 am and carried out their planned attack on the community successfully, killing 27 persons,
Mwantiri said to TruthNigeria.
“We learned there was a military intervention team for reinforcement but didn’t do anything to repel the attack. This is the collusion we are talking about”, Daylop said.
Plateau Pastor Condemns Muslim Cleric Instigating Violence
Popular Plateau Christian Preacher with Church of Christ in Nigeria (COCIN), Reverend Dr Ezekiel Dachomo has fired back at Sheikh Sani Yahaya Jingir of Sunni Central Mosque Jos for calling on the Nigeria military to stop arresting Fulani terrorists
Pastor Dachomo Calls out Sheik Jingir as Terrorist Sympathizer
“Unfortunately, the Muslims in the Nigerian military are behind their clerics. They follow what their clerics say. Are the Fulani terrorists above the law in Nigeria? We are calming our Christian youths, why are they not calming theirs?” Dachomo told TruthNigeria.
“The 27 of people who were killed in Bindi while I was out of the country I have not visited,” he said. “Now, the terrorists have invaded Nyarwe in Fam District, and the killings continue. If my people cannot sleep, how can I sleep?” Dachomo said.
Mike Odeh James and Ekani Olikita are Conflict Reporters for TruthNigeria.
