By Joy Yesufu
The Defence Headquarters has linked the ongoing violent attacks on communities in Benue, Plateau, and other parts of Nigeria to foreign herders who have infiltrated the country through porous borders.
Addressing journalists in Abuja on Thursday, Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Markus Kangye, said the linguistic patterns, appearance, and behavior of the attackers point to their foreign origin.
“When these assailants speak, it becomes evident they are not native Hausa speakers,” Kangye said.
“Even among Nigerians, there are regional differences in how Hausa is spoken. But the accents of these attackers are clearly foreign , consistent with dialects spoken in Mali, Central African Republic, and Ghana.”
Kangye also mentioned physical characteristics, such as hairstyle, as further indicators of their foreign origin, stating, “Only communities like the Shuwa Arabs in Borno bear any resemblance, and even they are distinctly different.”
The military’s revelation aligns with recent comments from Benue State Governor Hyacinth Alia, who accused foreign herders of exploiting the ECOWAS protocol on free movement to enter Nigeria and wreak havoc on local farming communities.
Kangye acknowledged that while conflicts between Nigerian herders and farmers persist, the most violent incidents appear to be driven by foreign infiltrators.
“Some of our own herders do get into clashes over grazing, but these organized, deadly attacks are largely the work of outsiders who cross into Nigeria unchecked,” he said.
The military called for stronger border control and improved inter-agency collaboration to monitor and secure Nigeria’s extensive land borders.
In addition to addressing the security crisis, Kangye highlighted recent military achievements:
According to him, these include arrest of a notorious arms dealer and kidnap kingpin, Buhari Umar, who had been terrorizing Gombe, Bauchi, Plateau, and Kaduna States.
“Capture of a five-man kidnapping gang in Lafia, Nasarawa State. The suspects include Hassan Mohammed, Saleh Sani, Idi Yusuf, Adamu Danmai, and Hassan Bello.
“Neutralization of a wanted terrorist, Nkwachi Eze (aka Onowu), who was behind multiple attacks and kidnappings across the South East.
In April alone, 173 kidnapped victims were rescued, 204 terrorists and family members surrendered, and 430 suspected oil thieves and other criminals were arrested.”
He stated further that in Operation Delta Safe, troops foiled oil theft worth over ₦1.93 billion in just one week, seizing more than 1 million litres of stolen crude and destroying 95 illegal refining sites.
Kangye assured Nigerians that the military remains committed to restoring peace and protecting the nation’s territorial integrity.
