The Defence Headquarters has attributed the recent wave of deadly attacks in Benue, Plateau, and other regions to foreign herders who allegedly entered Nigeria through its porous borders.
Addressing journalists on Friday, May 9, in Abuja, Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Markus Kangye, acknowledged that while some Nigerian herders were involved in the violence, many of the perpetrators were from outside the country.
“Note that most of the violent and incessant killings you are hearing in some parts of this country are perpetrated mostly by those who find their way into the porous border of our country,” Kangye said.
He urged national unity in confronting insecurity. “We must together as a nation and rise to ensure we address insecurity and defeat our common enemy,” he stated.
According to him, both linguistic and physical evidence point to the foreign origins of many of the attackers. “When you hear them speak, you can often tell they are not from here (Nigeria).
“For example, the Hausa spoken in Nigeria differs from that spoken in Mali, the Central African Republic, or Ghana,” Kangye explained.
He added that even the attackers’ physical features help to distinguish them. “When we arrest these herders and terrorists, their speech and even their hair distinguish them from Nigerians.
“Perhaps only the Shuwa Arabs in Borno State have similar features, but not quite the same,” he noted.
Kangye’s remarks follow heightened tension over herder-farmer violence, which has claimed hundreds of lives and displaced thousands in recent months.
Governors of the two worst-hit states have echoed similar concerns. Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia, said many of the attackers “are not Nigerians,” claiming “they speak unfamiliar languages and exhibit foreign traits.”
Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang, also said the perpetrators “often do not speak any recognised Nigerian language,” fuelling public suspicion about their identities and intent.
In response to the mounting violence, President Bola Tinubu recently declared “enough is enough” and called on Plateau’s governor to summon the political will to restore peace.
He also appealed to community, political, and religious leaders to help put an end to retaliatory attacks.
