How My People Killed 46 Christians In Plateau Community – Fulani Elder Narrates

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A Fulani elder who has lived in Hurti community, Manguna District of Bokkos Local Government Area, Plateau State, for more than three decades has confirmed that the armed men who attacked the village and killed 46 residents were members of his own ethnic group.

According to a video shared on Tuesday by journalist Masara Kim Usman, the respected community leader recounted in detail how he confronted the gunmen and pleaded with them to stop the assault, but his appeals were ignored.

The elder—widely known in the community for his peaceful disposition despite being Fulani and Muslim—said the attackers spoke the Fulani dialect fluently as they carried out the assault on predominantly Christian residents.

He explained that he stepped forward to meet the gunmen, addressing them in their language and begging them to spare the community he had lived in for 32 years. Terrified women and children reportedly ran towards him, believing his identity might persuade the attackers to stop.

However, the gunmen refused to listen. The elder said they pushed him aside before proceeding to unleash violence on the village, shooting indiscriminately and burning homes belonging to Christian residents.

By the end of the attack, 46 people were confirmed dead, with several houses razed.

The elder said what distressed him the most was that the perpetrators were his own tribesmen—people he expected would listen to him out of respect for their shared identity and his long-standing ties with the community. “I have been living with them for so many years, and they have become my family,” he said.

He noted a significant detail: no Muslim or Fulani resident was targeted during the invasion, a pattern that locals say highlights the religious and ethnic undertones driving violence in parts of the Middle Belt. This stands in contrast to the insurgency in the Northeast or banditry in the Northwest, where both Muslims and non-Muslims are frequently victims.

Describing the events, the elder added:

“Women were trooping to my place and begging me to rescue them. If I had the power to rescue them, I would have done so. When they left, I went to the hills and watched the whole scenario. They regrouped and started shooting. We all hid in one room while the shooting continued for a long time, killing plenty of people.”