The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has blamed the incessant violent attacks in Benue, Plateau, and other parts of Nigeria on foreign herdsmen who have infiltrated the country through its porous borders.
Maj. Gen. Markus Kangye, Director of Defence Media Operations, stated at a press briefing in Abuja on Thursday that linguistic and physical evidence indicates that many of the assailants are not Nigerian natives.
“When you hear them speak, you can often tell they are not from here. For example, the Hausa spoken in Nigeria differs from that spoken in Mali, the Central African Republic, or Ghana,” Kangye said.
He went on to explain that the dialect, intonation, and hair texture of these herdsmen plainly identified them as immigrants.
“When we arrest these herders and terrorists, their speech and even their hair distinguish them from Nigerians.
Perhaps only the Shuwa Arabs in Borno State have similar features, but not quite the same,” he added.
Kangye’s statements came amid mounting concern over the ongoing herdsmen attacks, which have killed hundreds and displaced thousands.
Many victims of these herdsmen attacks are now being cared for in Internally Displaced Persons camps across the impacted states.
Benue State Governor, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia, earlier said that foreign herders were misusing the ECOWAS protocol on free movement to enter Nigeria and cause chaos.
While conceding that some Nigerian herders contribute to the attacks, Kangye stressed that the most violent occurrences are primarily committed by non-Nigerians.
“Some of those involved are Nigerians who encroach on farmlands during cattle grazing, leading to conflict.
“However, the most dangerous and frequent attacks come from infiltrators who enter through our porous borders,” he noted.
He advocated for more collaboration between security and border agencies to better monitor and manage Nigeria’s vast borders.
Kangye also highlighted recent military victories, such as the arrest of Buhari Umar, a notorious arms dealer and abduction kingpin who has long terrorised communities in Gombe, Bauchi, Plateau, and Kaduna states.
Troops also captured a five-man kidnapping syndicate in Nasarawa’s Lafia Local Government Area.
The accused were named Hassan Mohammed, Saleh Sani, Idi Yusuf, Adamu Danmai, and Hassan Bello.
In the South-East, the military apprehended Nkwachi Eze, also known as Onowu, a wanted gang boss who had orchestrated multiple attacks and kidnappings.
He stated that in April alone, troops rescued 173 kidnapped victims and accepted the surrender of over 204 terrorists and their families.
Furthermore, 430 suspected oil thieves and other criminals were apprehended, and troops from Operation Delta Safe foiled an oil heist worth more than ₦1.93 billion in one week.
“We recovered over one million litres of stolen crude oil, large volumes of illegally refined products, and dismantled 95 illegal refining sites,” Kangye said.
