Herders under the aegis of Coalition of Fulani Registered Organisations (COFRO) (Youth Wing) Bokkos local government chapter, Plateau State, have called on governments at all levels, security agencies, peace-loving individuals, stakeholders, and the international community to disregard the claims of fresh killings by Bokkos Concerned Youth.
They also appealed to their neighbours in Bokkos, traditional and religious leaders, and the wider Plateau public to avoid inflammatory rhetoric. They called for dialogue, empathy, and mutual understanding as the only sustainable path to peace and rejected allegations that they’re the aggressors in the unending orgy of killings in the local government.
COFRO was reacting to a report credited to Bokkos Concerned Youths (BCY) where they accused the Fulani herders of sacking and occupying several villages and of masterminding mass killings in the area.
The Fulani youths, at a press briefing in Jos, while rejecting the allegations, said that they’re unjustly stigmatised and labelled with the risk of further incitement against their people and breeding tensions.
In the text of the briefing, which was signed by youth leader, lbrahim Muhammnad, and read by chairman, Gan Allah Fulani Association of Nigeria ( GAFDAN), Bokkos, and zonal chairman, GAFDAN, Plateau Central, Sale Yusuf Adam, the Fulani group said that they are equally affected by the recurring insecurity in Bokkos.
The statement said, “While we empathise with all victims of the persistent insecurity in Bokkos and beyond, we categorically reject these sweeping allegations which unfairly stigmatise our entire community and risk inflaming further incitement on Fulani people and breeding tensions.
“The BCY’s statement portrays all Fulani people as aggressors. In truth, our community has also suffered killings, cattle rustling, destruction of homes, and mass
displacements, where more than 200 people including women, children, youth and the elderly were killed, more than 3000 cows were rustled with few recoveries, a large number poisoned and shot, over 700 houses burnt and destroyed, thousands of Fulani members were displaced. Their communities have been taken over by the Ron and Mushere militia.
We therefore reject the blanket labelling that criminalises innocent herders.”
The herders said that as recent as August 12, 2025, two Fulani, Shafi’u Abdullahi and Muazzam Aminu, were killed in cold blood at Tashan Maikarfi near Nbar District and 30 of their cows were killed at a spot by suspected Ron Militia.
“Claims of Fulani ‘sacking and occupying’ villages and rendering some a ‘no-go-area’ are false and misleading and a false narrative of occupation. Moreover, Fulani people are living peacefully with their neighbors, the non-fulani are going about their normal businesses and religious practices in their places of worship, like in Josho that was alleged to have been a no-go-area has three functional churches among which are Baptist and COCIN, while no mosques where the Fulani Communities were sacked are left standing talk more of accessing or worshiping in them.
“Many Fulani families have been forced out of their ancestral communities and their lands grabbed and taken over. More than seventy (70) Fulani indigenous communities were sacked and taken over, the communities include; Marish, Cherget, Mangwan, Machambe, Kwatas, Dimish
1, Dimish 2, Wumat 1, Wumat 2, Dakin Kowa, Chikamn 2, Garau, Bakanu, Dakanu, Angwan
Abuja, Getel, Bot, Faranti, BEP Farms, Makada, Woshen, Rui, Mushu, Gwana, Tangur 1,
Tangur 2, Pekmalu, Mandung, Metalem, Mom, Ngoksar, Larlem, Sat, Fwangding, Kawel, Gara,
Mekzet, Rom, Ikgwarkap, Dingak, Dimar, Mushere Centra, IMargif, Kopmur, Ngai, Ngolot,
Horof, Tulus, Kuten, Sangkger, Kop Mandarken, Zarak, Fagim, Gwak, Jakanil, Mapolong.
Kanger, Nyamte, Butura Company, Kunet 2, Chirang and the list still continuous.
“Violence in Bokkos has affected both farmers and herders. Entire families, both Fulani and other groups, have suffered losses or displacements. Therefore, lasting peace requires acknowledgment of all victims, not selective narratives.”
The group also described as speculative and dangerous accusations of Fulani collusion with security forces, saying such allegations are capable of setting the peace-loving Fulani people of Bokkos LGA against the security forces, which they reject in totality.
