Middle Belt Forum President Condemns Terror Attacks on Farmers and Civilians

Pogu Bitrus, President of the Middle Belt Forum, has expressed grave concern over the relentless wave of terrorist attacks ravaging Nigeria’s North-Central zone. Speaking during an interview with LMSINT MEDIA, Bitrus laid out potential strategies to put an end to these horrifying assaults on both the region and the nation as a whole. Below are excerpts from the discussion.

Can you share your views on the unending insecurity affecting the North-Central region?

Firstly, the description of these incidents as “farmers-herders clashes” is something we completely reject. What we are facing is the systematic onslaught by Fulani terrorists on farmers as well as innocent civilians living in Nigeria’s North-Central geopolitical region. These current attacks are among the most horrific ever seen, because in the past, terrorists would merely shoot their victims, but now they go so far as to burn people alive inside their own homes. This level of brutality marks a new and terrifying escalation in terrorist tactics in Nigeria. It is absolutely horrifying, utterly intolerable, and deeply shocking.

Even more appalling is the fact that, despite years of repeatedly informing security forces and fellow Nigerians about the precise locations of these terrorists, nothing has been done. These attackers are known to be based in Nasarawa, from where they launch strikes into Benue, Plateau, Southern Kaduna, and Taraba. It is completely unacceptable that in a sovereign nation with a functioning security apparatus, the authorities can simply stand by while distress calls go unanswered and taxpayers continue to fund their operations. Security forces are fully aware of where these criminals are hiding, yet they fail to neutralize them, effectively giving them a free pass to slaughter innocent civilians.

Given how long these attacks have persisted in the North-Central region, how would you assess the federal government’s handling of the crisis?

The government has refused to permit people to possess arms as they should, or to empower communities with adequate weaponry to protect themselves. Consequently, countless innocent citizens have been murdered with no ability to defend their lives or property. This is totally unacceptable. If there is a government in place, this wave of terrorism must come to an end.

Let’s address a topic people often shy away from: Who occupies the office of National Security Adviser? A Fulani. Who holds the post of Minister of Defence? Another Fulani. And who is the Minister of State for Defence? Again, a Fulani. Even the second-in-command to the National Security Adviser is reportedly a Fulani.

Considering Nigeria’s ethnic diversity, where Fulanis account for about 20 percent of the population, these appointments are disturbing. It raises fundamental questions about the direction of governance and whether these appointments are deliberate, intended to provide easy passage for those destroying lives and property. We see the pattern clearly, and it must end. Enough is enough.

Some people believe these attacks on North-Central communities amount to an orchestrated genocide. What is your perspective?

That is a completely accurate observation. I agree entirely. These coordinated attacks are no longer confined to Benue; they are ravaging Plateau and other states in the North-Central zone in exactly the same way. There is a clear pattern of targeted violence against certain ethnic groups while terror is also inflicted on other innocent civilians. Anyone who visits the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps can witness the suffering of people who have been driven from their ancestral homes by these Fulani terrorists.

What is even more troubling is that the government seems far too sympathetic to their cause. For instance, on the Plateau, large tracts of land have been allocated to these attackers rather than to their rightful owners. The authorities failed to consider other northern states like Kaduna, Zamfara, Sokoto, and parts of the far North, where Fulanis traditionally live. Instead, the focus has been on the North-Central region, with people being raped, maimed, and slaughtered in their homelands. Nigeria faces an enormous crisis, but silence must not be mistaken for weakness. Our silence is not stupidity.

Do you think the Benue anti-open grazing law is what triggered these constant attacks?

The law against open grazing was a direct response to these attacks, not the other way around. These terrorists were already terrorizing Benue long before the law was enacted. For many years, they targeted Benue, Plateau, Southern Kaduna, and parts of Taraba, murdering hundreds with impunity. After each tragedy, people would mourn, and then it would fade away, only for a worse massacre to occur later. The anti-open grazing legislation was meant to address this.

The only genuine solution to this conflict is ranching. However, the Fulanis have brought in their brothers from Mali, Niger, Togo, Burkina Faso, Senegal, and elsewhere to occupy Nigerian territory. We have insisted that ranching must be developed at the community level, yet they reject this, preferring instead to see these foreign elements dominate local demographics and claim ancestral lands in the Middle Belt, which is unacceptable.

People should remember that Middle Belters historically resisted colonial subjugation and maintained independence from the Borno Caliphate. We will remain resilient. We will continue to protect our people, our land, our educational systems, and our heritage.

What, in your opinion, is the best way forward to permanently end this insecurity?

Since the federal government has woefully failed to safeguard citizens, every local government area should have state-controlled police forces. If people wish to defend their territory, it must happen within a structured, lawful framework to avoid anarchy. While some communities have tried to establish vigilante groups, these have proven inadequate.

Moreover, the protocol document signed by the former Attorney General, Abubakar Malami, which gives Fulanis unrestricted movement across the country, should be repealed. Foreign Fulanis must be returned to their home countries to conduct their activities there instead of destabilizing Nigeria.

Community-based ranching remains the best, globally recognized model for animal husbandry, and should be adopted throughout Nigeria. Every Nigerian community should know exactly who their local Fulani residents are—people who have lived peacefully with them since independence. Those people can receive land under fair agreements, but ranching should be the standard, not open grazing. This approach will help protect ancestral land and guarantee peaceful coexistence.