The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has attributed the surge in violent attacks on farming communities in Plateau, Benue, and other parts of the country to foreign herders who exploit Nigeria’s porous borders.
This disclosure was made on Thursday by the Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Markus Kangye, during a media briefing in Abuja.
He was responding to questions regarding the identity of armed herders behind the recent wave of killings and displacements.
According to Kangye, 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.
This statement follows repeated attacks in communities across Plateau and Benue States, where scores of civilians have been killed and thousands displaced.
Governor Hyacinth Alia of Benue recently blamed foreign herders for the escalating violence, alleging that they are exploiting regional movement agreements to invade and destroy local communities.
While acknowledging that some Nigerian herders are also involved in land disputes with farmers, Kangye stressed that linguistic and physical cues often reveal the non-Nigerian identities of many of the attackers.
Kangye said: “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 that only a few Nigerian communities, such as the Shuwa Arabs in Borno State, share superficial similarities with these foreign individuals.
Kangye 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 said.
The Defence Headquarters stressed that a collaborative, multi-agency approach is critical to curbing the menace of cross-border terrorism and protecting vulnerable communities from further harm.