The Defence Headquarters has attributed the recent surge in deadly attacks across Benue, Plateau, and other regions to foreign herders who have infiltrated Nigeria through porous borders.
This statement comes amid growing national concern over the wave of violence that has left hundreds dead and thousands displaced, with many victims now living in Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps. The attacks, largely targeting farming communities, have been linked to armed herders who officials say are exploiting Nigeria’s lax border control.
Speaking at a press briefing in Abuja on Thursday, the Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Markus Kangye, said intelligence and arrest records suggest that many of the attackers are not Nigerian nationals.
“Well, when you hear them talk in some instances, you will be able to decipher whether these people are from here or not,” Kangye said. He pointed to notable differences in language and appearance, saying, “The Hausa language we speak in Nigeria is different from that of Mali, Central African Republic, and Ghana.”
Kangye emphasized that linguistic patterns, physical features, and even hairstyles have helped the military identify foreign elements among captured suspects. “So when we arrest these herders and terrorists, from the way they speak and even from their hair, you can tell they are not from Nigeria,” he said, clarifying that such characteristics are distinct from local ethnic communities like the Shuwa Arabs in Borno State.
The Defence Headquarters’ position supports earlier claims by Benue State Governor Hyacinth Alia, who accused foreign herders of abusing the ECOWAS protocol on free movement to cross into Nigeria and launch attacks on rural populations.
While acknowledging that some Nigerian herders have been involved in conflicts, Kangye said the most brutal attacks have been carried out by non-Nigerians. “Know that most of the violence and incessant killings you are hearing in some parts of this country are perpetrated by mostly those that find their way into the country through our porous borders,” he said.
He called for increased collaboration among security and immigration agencies to tighten border control and monitor all entry routes into Nigeria.
Kangye also announced a significant breakthrough in ongoing military operations, revealing the arrest of a notorious arms dealer and kidnap kingpin, Buhari Umar, who had been terrorizing communities across Gombe, Bauchi, Plateau, and Kaduna states.
As the nation grapples with rising insecurity, the Defence Headquarters has pledged to intensify its efforts in safeguarding Nigeria’s borders and protecting vulnerable communities from further attacks.
