Military Can't Stop Fulani Terrorists in Nigeria’s Christian States
- TruthNigeria
- Aug 6
- 5 min read
Outrage Grows in Nigeria’s Christian States
By Mike Odeh James and Luka Binniyat
Riyom Bleeds Again: Military Presence Fails to Deter Killers
Nigeria’s military, one of Africa’s most experienced forces, is facing growing criticism for its failure to stop the wave of Fulani militia attacks sweeping the Middle Belt.
On July 15, Fulani terrorists stormed Tashoss in Riyom County, Plateau State, killing at least 27 Christian residents, burning homes and a church, and stealing food supplies meant for the rainy season.
A military checkpoint was nearby. No attacker was arrested.
Governor Caleb Mutfwang praised soldiers who have sacrificed their lives but said praise without action is no longer enough.
“These attackers are not spirits,” he said. “Real people carried out these atrocities and vanished without a trace.”
Mutfwang demanded accountability from the Sector Commander.
“You were in charge when arrests were made for a soldier’s death. Why are there no arrests today?”
He warned against scapegoating innocent people and urged the military to release detained villagers unless credible evidence exists of their link to a crime.
“To the people of Riyom, I say: ‘We will not bow. This is not a farmer-herder conflict. This is terrorism. This is genocide—plain and simple.’”
Benue’s Battlefront: “So Who Is Being Protected?”
In Benue, Governor Hyacinth Alia voiced similar frustration after Fulani terrorists massacred dozens in Gwer West and Yelewata.
On May 28, 2025, Alia lamented that despite the massive deployment of troops to Benue State to curb insecurity, no terrorist was arrested.
Time and again, armed Fulani invade Christian villages at night, kill and burn, then vanish—despite military or police posts often nearby.
This pattern is echoed in Southern Kaduna and Taraba, where attacks sometimes last hours, yet security forces reportedly fail to respond.
Infiltration and Sympathizers? Insider Reveals
Franc Utoo, a native of Yelewata and former Principal Special Assistant to former Governor Samuel Ortom, now based in the United States, believes military failure may be deliberate.
“The military has been infiltrated,” he claimed. “Some Fulani officers stationed in Yelewata wouldn’t fight the terrorists. They’d fire shots into the air—signaling the attackers to avoid their position.”
He also accused the military of disarming local vigilantes (volunteer community guards), leaving communities defenseless.
However, Utoo recalled a rare moment of accountability when a Southern officer led the Yelewata unit.
“Under his command, eight terrorists were killed. When their bodies were searched, we found military ID cards from Niger Republic, Mali, and other Sahelian countries.”
To Utoo, the crisis is an orchestrated campaign.
Expanding Frontiers of Islam or National Failure?
Many Nigerian Christians from the Middle Belt states of Benue, Taraba, Plateau, and Southern Kaduna say the military is deliberately refusing to tackle Fulani terrorists to allow them to spread Islam.
“The military can end Fulani terrorism,” Utoo said. “But it won’t, because many in the military hierarchy and political leadership—chiefly Fulani—see this campaign as a way to expand Islamic influence and create a homeland for Fulani from across West Africa.”
rancis John, Executive Director of HOPe Africa USA, agrees. He says the Middle Belt is under systematic attack, while the government offers little more than silence.
“These are Christian-majority states being terrorized by Fulani militias. Yet the federal government remains passive—because of who the victims are.”
He accuses Nigerian authorities of systematic inaction and silent complicity.
“Labeling this crisis as ‘farmer-herder clashes’ is dishonest. It hides the truth: these are targeted killings.”
John confirms that many attackers are transnational Fulani militias from Mali, Niger, and Chad—motivated by land seizures and ethno-religious domination.
Justice, Not Hollow Reconciliation
For communities reeling from these attacks, calls for peace and reconciliation feel empty without justice.
Utoo asked: “Negotiate or reconcile with terrorists who kill?”
Francis John added: “Reconciliation without justice only emboldens the killers. You can’t ask victims to forgive when nobody is held accountable.”
HOPe Africa is calling for:
– Trauma-informed resettlement for displaced families
– Early warning systems to prevent future massacres
– Hybrid war crimes tribunals to hold perpetrators accountable
– Peacebuilding led by faith leaders and civil society
“We must replace impunity with justice,” John urged. “And restore dignity to Nigeria’s forgotten frontlines.”
Military Aiding Terrorists Through Selective Arrests – Middle Belt Forum President
Dr. Bitrus Pogu, National President of the Middle Belt Forum—an umbrella body representing over 45 million Nigerian Christians—has accused the Nigerian military of complicity and bias in its handling of terrorist attacks.
The military has consistently shown reluctance to pursue known terrorist groups, even when their hideouts are well identified, according to Pogu speaking to TruthNigeria.
“The military is very reluctant to go after the terrorists, even when they know exactly where they are hiding,” he said. “Even when the terrorists’ cattle invade Christian farmlands, the military takes little to no action.”
Pogu further claimed that when Christian communities attempt to defend their lives and ancestral lands, they are often met with swift and harsh military crackdowns.
“If our youths try to defend their communities, the military storms in, arrests them, confiscates their locally made pipe guns, tortures them, and hands them over to the police. The police, in turn, brutalize and detain them without due process.”
He added that the Middle Belt Forum has intervened on several occasions to secure the release of arbitrarily detained youths.
“This pattern of selective arrests and inaction toward actual perpetrators raises serious questions about the neutrality and role of the Nigerian military in these conflicts,” Dr. Pogu said.
Nigerian Military Insists it is Fighting Back
However, the Nigerian military has refuted these allegations saying that it is fighting the terrorists.
A few days after the Yelewata attacks, Nigeria Police boss, Kayode Egbetokun said 26 persons have been arrested by the police in connection with the killings in Benue. Were the suspects then charged with murder? No reported evidence of that.
According to Punch, from July 10, the Nigerian Office of the Attorney General of the Federation has taken over the prosecution of the 26 individuals arrested in connection to the murder of 260 people in Yelewata. The 26 suspected killers have confessed to their involvement, according to MSN, but their arraignment in court has been delayed due to the transfer of the case to the Ministry of Justice, according to Punch. The charges against them have not been published,
And as of July 17, 2025, two days after the Tashoss precinct massacre, the Nigeria military says its troops of Operation Safe Haven rejected a ₦13.7 million bribe from terrorists during an operation along the Jos-Sanga Road, arresting suspects and recovering weapons and cash. Raids across Plateau, Kaduna, and Nasarawa led to more arrests and rescues.
However, local communities remain skeptical, citing ongoing violence and a lack of announced prosecutions. The Defence Headquarters praised the troops’ integrity, while rights groups urged formal recognition for their ethical conduct.
