A youth organisation under the umbrella of Concerned Fulani Youths in Plateau has outlined reasons why the lingering violence and communal crisis in the state has persisted.
According to the group, genuine reconciliation between host communities and Fulani herders will remain elusive unless local gangs, particularly the “Berom Militias,” cease attacking herders and destroying their livestock.
Speaking after a meeting in Jos on Tuesday, July 21, the group stated that while Fulani herders desire peaceful coexistence with host communities, they will not stand by while their people are killed and their livelihoods wiped out.
In a communique signed by its convener, Saleh Umaru, the group maintained that many attacks attributed to herders are reprisals carried out to avenge killings or recover stolen cattle.
“After wide-ranging consultations across Plateau State, we have come to the conclusion that a major cause of the lingering violence—especially in Barkin Ladi and Riyom Local Government Areas—is the continuous attack on Fulani people by Berom militia gangs,” Umaru said.
While acknowledging that some herders have engaged in criminal activity, the group insisted that the root cause of the cycle of violence remains the unaddressed militia attacks.
“The Fulani people are generally peace-loving, but no one will fold their arms when their relatives are killed, settlements destroyed, and livestock stolen,” the statement read. “In such situations, reprisal reactions naturally follow.”
The group urged the Plateau State Government, under Governor Caleb Mutfwang, to enact legislation that specifically criminalises ethnic militia operations and called on security agencies to launch decisive clampdowns on such groups to restore lasting peace.
