Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia, has claimed that the perpetrators of recent attacks in the state are not Nigerian Fulani herders, but armed foreigners, particularly from Mali.
Speaking with journalist on Wednesday, the governor stated that the language and physical features of the attackers differ significantly from that of local herders in Nigeria.
He emphasised that the Fulani and Hausa dialects spoken by the assailants are unfamiliar to the people in the region.
Communities across Benue, including Otukpo, Ado, and Logo, have been repeatedly targeted in violent incidents, leading to loss of lives and heightened insecurity.
Governor Alia stressed that the individuals behind these attacks do not exhibit the traits of Nigeria’s traditional pastoralists, who are typically known for moving with livestock and using sticks for herding.
“These folks, the attackers, are coming in fully armed with AK-47s and 49s. They do not bear the Nigerian look. They don’t speak like we do. Even the Hausa they speak is one sort of Hausa,” he said.
According to him, there are specific linguistic patterns in the way these foreign attackers communicate, making it easier for local communities to identify them as non-Nigerians.
“It’s not the normal Hausa we Nigerians speak. So it is with the Fulani they speak. There is a trend in the language they speak, and some of our people who understand what they speak give it names. They say they are Malians and different from our people. But they are not Nigerians believe it,” Alia added.
The governor’s remarks come amid growing concerns over cross-border violence and its impact on internal security in Nigeria.
via: Information Nigeria
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