Fulani Coalition distances self from Christmas Eve killings in Plateau

The Chairman, Coalition of the Plateau Indigenous Fulani Association, Mallam Mohammad Nuru Abdullah has stated that it is out of place to link last year’s Christmas Eve killings to the Fulani nation, saying no atom of proof can be obtained either from the scene of the incident or afterward.

Addressing newsmen on behalf of the Coalition, Mallam Abdullah, who stated that the Fulanis were not behind the attack, added that their lack of access to the media, both conventional and non-conventional, was the rationale behind their inability to state to the whole world their plight as it happened.

According to him, the acts meted out to the Fulanis were often suppressed, adding that they were often worse hit and therefore recorded the highest number of casualties and destruction of properties in the crisis, going by its trajectory.

“On the contrary, the whole media is caught by the shockwave of what happened, which is far less than what has been happening to Fulani in Plateau State. A clear case of crying more than the bereaved and inequality before the law and authority, false information, baseless analysis, and stereotyping against the Fulani by our neighbors, security personnel, and government at all levels are the order of the day,” he said.

He expressed disappointment that the unfortunate incident was linked to the Fulani and the erroneous accusation of the Fulani to killings in Mangu, Bokkos, and Barakin-Ladi, adding that the accusation was flagrant and naked falsehood and consequently unacceptable.

Mallam Abdullah stated that what happened on December 23 and 24, 2023, was an outright act of criminality by unpatriotic Nigerians who were hell-bent on setting the state on fire and maligning the Fulani nation.

The Chairman of the Coalition further expressed appreciation to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) for releasing relief materials to the Fulani displaced both in Bokkos and other parts of the country, such as Nasarawa, Bauchi, Taraba, and Kaduna.

He therefore called on the government to allocate more relief materials to NEMA for the benefit of all and also appealed to the federal government to organize a dialogue and reconciliation committee to look into the immediate and remote causes of the long-standing conflict.