Human Rights Writers Association Of Nigeria (HURIWA) has backed the factual claim by the Governor of Plateau state Barrister Caleb Mutfwang who stated with scientifically verifiable accuracy that the frequent bloody attacks by suspected armed herders are coordinated acts of GENOCIDE against the native people of Plateau state.
Besides, HURIWA has reminded President Bola Ahmed Tinubu that his primary constitutional duty is to provide security to the lives and property of citizens just as the Rights group said since the heaviest Christmas Eve 2023 attacks on many Plateau state communities in which over 150 Plateau natives were gruesomely slaughtered by suspected armed herders, the security forces have failed to arrest the key sponsors neither have any of the real killers known to have been arrested, prosecuted and punished sternly in compliance with the extant laws against mass murders.
HURIWA is therefore advocating that rather than shout just like a mere observer, the president of Nigeria who has all the powers to command armed security forces should mandate the relevant commanders to go after the sponsors and the killers within a given timeline or be dismissed from their positions in the armed forces of Nigeria. The President should be decisive, authoritative, bold, courageous and above all act like a statesman and not a politician.
“HURIWA is miffed that the people of Plateau State have been subjected to persistent attacks by bloodthirsty terrorists who are suspected to be armed herders but for many years, the intelligence community and the entire architecture of national security seemed either compromised or incapable of sniffing out the real sponsors who are responsible for engaging freelance armed non-state actors known as herders just as the federal government through the office of the president that controls and commands the armed forces have continued to make empty rhetorics and threats to arrest the killers but nothing happens and after few days of national and apparent outrage, the entire story of the killing spree in Plateau state dies down and the country and its government return to business as usual as if those precious lives wasted and killed extra-legally means nothing and then after a while these daredevil terrorists would be re-engaged to again unleash devastating and blood cuddling violence on Plateau state communities and another vicious circles of verbal condemnation is triggered on and on and on. “This is not how civilised countries protect their citizens from terrorists”.
HURIWA recalled that Governor Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau State had said that the sustained attacks in communities in the state should not be described as conflicts between herders and farmers but should be defined in their proper perspective, which, according to him, is a genocide against the Plateau natives.
Governor Mutfwang, however, affirms the State’s commitment to fighting insecurity, saying the Plateau spirit of peace, unity, and hospitality remains unbroken.
While speaking during the Experience Plateau: Art Meets Fashion event held in Abuja, he said that he had considered postponing the event in light of the recent tragedies in the State but resolved instead to use the platform to share the real situation with the international community, stating that the recent brutal attacks on rural communities in the Bokkos Local Government Area of the State were not mere clashes between farmers and herders but a calculated act of genocide perpetrated by murderers and enemies of the State.
His words, “In the last week, Bokkos Local Government Area has come under renewed attack by murderers who are desperate to break our spirit. Many advised that we suspend this function, but we realized that these attackers intend to keep us in perpetual mourning, to force us indoors, and to shackle our collective spirit.
“But I said no, life must go on. Plateau must move forward by the grace of God. The genocide on the Plateau will come to an end. What is happening is not a farmer-herder conflict. Let me be clear: it is genocide, and I urge the international community to take note. We know there are powerful forces behind these atrocities. By the grace of God, we will expose them and bring them to justice. Plateau remains a land of peace and hospitality. Our communities will continue to welcome visitors.
“No one will rewrite that narrative. Some of our people were slaughtered while observing a wake; others were murdered in their sleep. May their blood cry out for justice, and may God grant them eternal rest.”
In a media statement by the National Coordinator Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, HURIWA expressed solidarity with the affirmations made by the Plateau state governor and therefore has challenged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to return to Nigeria from his globetrotting gambit and lead the fight from the front by clearly instructing his security heads to take the necessary combative steps and foolproof security initiative to bring the sponsors of the Plateau genocide to book. “We suggest to President Tinubu that he suspends any further international trips for one year and stay home to confront the expanding frontiers of sophisticated crimes and heightened insecurity in Nigeria. The failure of the nation’s security architecture has led us to this sorry state.
“We are more than convinced that those who are behind the incessant attacks by Fulani terrorists masquerading as herders are known to the security forces but it is either that those who are at the head of these security forces are protecting these dangerous sponsors of terrorism targeted against the largely native and Christian population of Plateau state or are just absolutely incompetent and ineffective and therefore a rejig in the security architecture is necessary at this time.
“We also think that there is actually a religious jihad or war being waged against the people of Plateau state with the larger goal of capturing their resource rich landed assets and rendering the owners of the land of Plateau state homeless. The Nigerian Government needs to wake up and view the Plateau genocide as a major threat to Nigeri’s national security. This is because those who are perpetrating these ethno-religious genocide under the guise of searching for greener pastures for their cattle, are members of a network of Islamic warriors whose intellectual leaders had in the past openly made claims that Benue State belongs to Fulani. So, these killings are very well coordinated and the earlier the security forces work for the greater good of Nigeria and combat these terrorists the better for Nigeria. We think that the same dark forces protecting Turji Bello from being captured or neutralised may also be covering up for the terrorists wrecking havoc in Plateau state”, HURIWA concluded.
Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko
National Coordinator
HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA). April 6th 2025.
