A group known as the Concerned Plateau Fulani Forum (CPFF) has pushed back against persistent allegations of a “Christian genocide” in Plateau State, insisting that Fulani communities have also suffered large-scale killings they describe as genocide.
In a statement issued in Jos on Saturday, the National Coordinator of the group, Saleh Haruna, claimed Fulani people and their cattle have been repeatedly targeted by what he called “native militias” across several local government areas, including Bokkos, Barkin Ladi, Mangu, Riyom, and Bassa.
Haruna alleged that over 3,000 Fulani men, women, and children have been killed in the last 10 years, while more than 10,000 cows have been killed or stolen in the same period — figures he argued far exceed the number of Christian deaths often cited by critics.
According to him, despite accusations from Christian leaders like Rev. Ezekiel Dachomo—who frequently alleges that Fulani militias attack communities unprovoked—the majority of incidents involving Fulani communities are either unreported or are reprisals that follow earlier attacks on Fulani settlements.
“Are these killings also not enough to say there has been Fulani and cow genocide in Plateau State?” Haruna asked.
He criticized what he described as one-sided narratives in the media, claiming Christian-owned outlets amplify attacks on Christians while ignoring violence against Fulani communities.
Haruna also referenced comments by Islamic cleric Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, who recently alleged that some Christian leaders bury empty caskets to create the impression of mass casualties. Haruna said the CPFF is prepared to disprove what he called “false genocide claims” by asking for the exhumation of graves on both sides — despite Fulani cultural norms that discourage counting the dead.
“If Rev. Dachomo wants the international community to see the graves he talks about, we may also be forced to go against our culture and dig up our own mass graves,” he said.
The CPFF insisted that Fulani communities have been “at the receiving end” of sustained violence and urged authorities and the public to acknowledge what they described as long-ignored atrocities.
Tensions remain high in Plateau State, where recurring clashes between herders and farming communities continue to trigger competing narratives, accusations, and reprisals.
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