A major counter-narrative has emerged in Nigeria\u2019s heated debate over violence in rural communities, as the Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore socio-cultural association claims that Fulani pastoralists\u2014not Christians\u2014have borne the brunt of targeted killings for more than two decades.<\/p>\n
Speaking on Channels TV on Thursday, the association\u2019s National Secretary, Engr. Saleh Alhassan, dismissed reports of a Christian genocide as \u201cpolitically motivated\u201d and aimed at securing international sympathy and funding. According to him, if any group in Nigeria has experienced something resembling genocide, \u201cit is the Fulani pastoralists who have been systematically attacked across Plateau, Benue, Zamfara, Kebbi and beyond.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPastoralists Have Been Hunted, Displaced, Criminalised\u201d<\/p>\n
Alhassan argued that pastoral communities have faced deliberate and coordinated violence since the early 2000s, coupled with state policies he says have criminalised their way of life.<\/p>\n
\u201cPastoralists have been deliberately targeted, killed, displaced, and some state governors even enacted laws that criminalised pastoralism,\u201d he said, insisting that media portrayals often simplify or distort the complexities of farmer\u2013herder conflicts.<\/p>\n
He described ongoing reporting as \u201cunfortunate\u201d and accused some outlets of fuelling stigma that casts herders as automatic perpetrators any time conflict erupts.<\/p>\n
A Swipe at \u201cGenocide Town Criers\u201d<\/p>\n
The Miyetti Allah secretary took aim at religious and advocacy leaders who have taken accounts of violence against Christians abroad, claiming their goal is to attract foreign funding rather than seek genuine solutions.<\/p>\n
Using the example of a cleric who reportedly presented Benue violence narratives in the United States, Alhassan said: \u201cWhat he is looking for is foreign aid. He failed to contextualise the conflict.\u201d<\/p>\n
He also faulted the National Assembly for ignoring the group\u2019s memorandum on resolving the farmer\u2013herder crisis, saying key national institutions are being bypassed in favour of international activism.<\/p>\n
Claims of Escalating Attacks on Herders After Trump Remarks<\/p>\n
Alhassan further alleged that attacks on pastoralists have intensified in recent weeks, particularly after former U.S. President Donald Trump made comments referencing violence in Nigeria.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn the last three weeks, pastoralists have been devastated in Kebbi, Niger, and Benue states. They were attacked and nothing was said\u2014no statements from security agencies, nothing from the media,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
He claimed herders are frequently blamed for crimes committed by others, saying that \u201cafter investigations, you discover the locals were responsible.\u201d<\/p>\n
Miyetti Allah Backs FG Peace Efforts, Urges Broader Strategy<\/p>\n
Despite his criticisms, Alhassan reaffirmed the group\u2019s support for government efforts to restore stability.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs an organisation campaigning for peace, we support all government initiatives for sustainable peace,\u201d he noted, while urging authorities to adopt a comprehensive security approach that recognises the multi-actor nature of violence in rural Nigeria.<\/p>\n
He acknowledged that some herders may have engaged in criminality, but rejected the idea that pastoralists are the primary aggressors. \u201cThat is not the narrative,\u201d he maintained.<\/p>\n
Insecurity Rages On Across Northern and Middle Belt States<\/p>\n
The comments come amid a worsening wave of violence that has affected both farming and pastoralist communities.<\/p>\n
Over the last two weeks alone:<\/p>\n
\u2022 More than 300 schoolgirls, schoolboys, and teachers were abducted in coordinated attacks in Kebbi and Niger states.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Thirty-eight worshippers were kidnapped from a Christ Apostolic Church in Kwara State, where at least three people were killed. They have since been freed in what appeared to be a negotiation.<\/p>\n
\u2022 In Kogi State, gunmen abducted a pastor and his wife during a Sunday service.<\/p>\n
\u2022 A bride-to-be and her bridesmaids were seized in Sokoto State.<\/p>\n
\u2022 A Kwara monarch and six others narrowly escaped after kidnappers demanded \u20a6150 million.<\/p>\n
The persistent abductions and killings have deepened the country’s insecurity crisis, further straining relations between farmers and pastoralists and complicating government peace-building efforts.<\/p>\n
As the country grapples with overlapping conflicts\u2014banditry, terrorism, communal clashes, and organised crime\u2014Miyetti Allah\u2019s intervention adds a new layer to an already polarised public discourse.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A major counter-narrative has emerged in Nigeria\u2019s heated debate over violence in rural communities, as the Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore socio-cultural association claims that Fulani pastoralists\u2014not Christians\u2014have borne the brunt of targeted killings for more than two decades. Speaking on Channels TV on Thursday, the association\u2019s National Secretary, Engr. Saleh Alhassan, dismissed reports of a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":95520,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5807,7],"tags":[7624,3601,1575,2284,784],"class_list":["post-96428","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-crime-and-violence","category-news","tag-25-years","tag-christian","tag-fulani","tag-genocide","tag-miyetti"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/96428","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=96428"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/96428\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/95520"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=96428"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=96428"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=96428"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}