Blame the surge in violent attacks on Foreign Herders – DHQ

Nigeria’s Defence Headquarters (DHQ) says the surge in violent attacks on farming communities in Plateau, Benue, and other parts of the country are the handwork of foreign herders who exploit Nigeria’s porous borders.

Addressing Newsmen on Thursday, in Abuja, the Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Markus Kangye, made it clear that many of the perpetrators of these violent acts are not Nigerians but foreign nationals who have infiltrated the country, often taking advantage of the ECOWAS protocol on the free movement of livestock.

“Most of the violence and incessant killings you are hearing in some parts of this country are perpetrated by those who find their way through the porous borders into Nigeria,” Kangye said.

Recall, there have been repeated attacks in communities across Plateau and Benue States, where scores of civilians have been killed and thousands displaced.

Governor Hyacinth Alia of Benue had recently blamed foreign herders for the escalating violence, alleging that they are exploiting regional movement agreements to invade and destroy local communities.

General Kanye who acknowledged that some Nigerian herders are also involved in land disputes with farmers, Kangye revealed that linguistic and physical cues often show the non-Nigerian identities of many of the attackers.

“Hausa language, like any other language, has different versions and intonations.

“The Hausa spoken in Nigeria is different from that spoken in Mali, the Central African Republic, or Ghana. When we apprehend some of these individuals, their manner of speaking, appearance, and even hair texture make it clear that they are not from Nigeria,” he pointed out.

He, however, pointed out that only a few Nigerian communities, such as the Shuwa Arabs in Borno State, share superficial similarities with these foreign individuals.

To this end, the DHQ spokesman called for stronger border security and increased cooperation among relevant agencies to monitor and regulate cross-border movements.

“There are agencies responsible for monitoring our borders, and we must work jointly to ensure that those who come into Nigeria are accounted for,” he noted.