Leaders of the Fulani community in Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State have vehemently rejected the continued presence of some security agencies, including the Department of State Services, DSS, the regular police, the state-run Operation Rainbow and local vigilante groups.
The Fulani leaders, who expressed their views in a viral video on Thursday, said they were opposed to the presence of the security agencies and would prefer regular soldiers to be stationed in security hotspots across the LGA.
According to them, operatives of the DSS, Operation Rainbow, the police and local vigilante groups target their members and turn a blind eye whenever herders are attacked and their cattle stolen.
Speaking in the video, one of the Fulani leaders was heard saying: “Mu yanzu a Mangu, ba mu son DSS, ba mu son Police, ba mu son Operation Rainbow, ba mu son vigilante. Soja ne mu ke so.”
Translated into English, the remarks mean: “We in Mangu don’t want the DSS, we don’t want the police, we don’t want Operation Rainbow, and we don’t want vigilantes. We only want soldiers.”
The Fulani leaders also accused security operatives of illegally detaining more than 80 cows belonging to their members.
They demanded the immediate withdrawal of the law enforcement agencies from Mangu, claiming that only soldiers would ensure their protection and provide them with a sense of justice.
They further alleged that DSS and police operatives had treated them unfairly following the reported arrest of several armed Fulani militants in different parts of the LGA, which they claimed amounted to targeted attacks against their community.
One of the speakers in the video repeatedly called for the deployment of soldiers, claiming that they treated Fulani herders well.
Another speaker, while criticising law enforcement agencies under the present administration, was clearly heard saying, “Soldiers obey us.”
Fulani leaders in Mangu reject DSS, Operation Rainbow, local vigilante, opt for soldiers