Armed Fulanis in Nigeria Hiding Behind “unknown gunmen” Label to Go Unpunished: Priest

He said that no one is being held responsible for the atrocities committed against Christian in Nigeria because the attackers have sympathizers within the Nigerian government, and are therefore “protected from above”.

 The Catholic Priest said that the only time that “noise is made” is when Fulanis are victims of an incident.

“Some Fulanis died yesterday (January 25) and there was noise all over about Fulanis being targeted. But attacks against innocent civilians happen almost on a daily basis yet no one talks about them. Today alone, I have already recorded two different attacks against villagers, and I am sure that no arrest will be made,” he lamented. 

At least 27 Fulani herders were reportedly killed on January 25 and several others wounded when a bomb exploded in the village of Rukubi on the border between Nasarawa and Benue states in central Nigeria.

Nasarawa Governor, Abdullahi Sule, commented on the blast, in a local report, vowing "to ensure that those behind the killings are apprehended and face justice."

More in Africa

Emotions in Journalism? Kenyan Catholic Archbishop’s Tips on How Journalists Can Spur Spiritual Conversion

Read the article

“On behalf of the state government, I want to sympathize with the Fulani people across the state over the killings of their people by an unknown bomber. I want to assure them of the state government’s commitment to finding the perpetrators of such acts so they face the full wrath of the law,” the government official said.​​​​​​​

Fr. Remigius, however, shared with ACI Africa the possibility that the Fulanis in the January 25 incident were not victims of an attack.

“There is a possibility that no one attacked those Fulanis. Some point to the possibility that it is their own bomb that exploded within their own camp,” he said.

Corroborating the Nigerian Priest's claims about the government protecting Islamist militias, the Director of Denis Hurley Peace Institute (DHPI), Johan Viljoen, said, “Why is it possible that so many people have been killed and others kidnapped yet no arrest has been made?”

“A lot of time has gone by since the stoning and burning to death of Deborah Yakubu yet no one has been held accountable for the crime. There were very clear videos of the incident, showing perpetrators in broad daylight. Have authorities made them pay for the cruelty against the innocent Christian girl?” the official of the peace entity of the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference said.

Mr. Viljoen decried what he referred to as “complacency” of the Nigerian authorities, and added, “What we see is a deliberate attempt by some people in the Nigerian government to Islamize the country.”

Armed Fulani herdsmen have been blamed for various attacks happening across various Nigerian States, with reports indicating that the Islamist Fulanis sometimes go after their Christian victims in their camp hideouts.

In an interview with ACI Africa last year, Fr. Remigius expressed concern that a majority of IDP camps in Makurdi had no security personnel and were vulnerable to attacks.

He said that the Catholic Diocese of Makurdi has many IDP settlements, adding that the Episcopal See that is under the leadership of Bishop Wilfred Chikpa Anagbe houses “over 80 percent” of the quoted 1.5 million displaced persons in Benue State.

Those who have been displaced fear going back to their homes as the armed Fulani militants continue to wreak havoc in Benue State, which is one of the most affected states by the ongoing insecurity in Nigeria, he said during the August 2022 interview.

(Story continues below)

“Most people living in IDP camps used to be farmers and are still afraid of going back to the villages to continue with their lives. Militants are hiding in the bushes close to homes, roads and in farms and they kill these people on sight,” Fr. Remigius told ACI Africa last year.