June 21, 2025
By Adesoja Adesoji
A Yoruba coalition has alleged that the string of attacks on Benue State and the Middle Belt are aimed at re-enacting the defunct Fulani-led 1804 Jihad.
The Alliance of Yoruba Democratic Movement (AYDM) made this assertion in a statement signed by its General Secretary, Popoola Ajayi.
According to AYDM, the attacks are part of a grand plot to wage psychological war on the people ahead of a planned nationwide Jihad.
“The attackers are determined to break the will of Benue and Plateau in order to ease advancement to Southern Nigeria,” Ajayi said.
The group condemned the recent massacre of over 200 innocent citizens in Yelewata, Guma Local Government Area of Benue State, describing it as a “new low in the series of attacks being carried out by a well-funded network of Fulani militias.” AYDM accused the Fulani leadership of pursuing an age-long agenda of political domination and land grabbing.
“Since 2015, communities in Nasarawa, Plateau, and Benue States — including Agatu, Logo, Katsina-Ala, Gwer East and West — have been relentlessly attacked,” Ajayi stated.
“Over 4,000 lives have been lost, with properties worth billions destroyed. Entire villages have been overrun, and indigenous populations forcefully displaced by strangers now occupying their ancestral lands.”
AYDM warned that the growing boldness of the militias cannot be separated from the political calculations ahead of the 2027 general elections.
“There is a deliberate and dangerous buildup by vested interests who are weaponising politics as a tool for electoral manipulation and territorial conquest,” the group said.
The coalition called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to take decisive action to stop the growing carnage in Benue and halt the Jihad plot.
“President Tinubu must go beyond the usual ritual of issuing ineffective statements and must now match words with concrete action. The time to act is now — before the entire country is taken over by forces bent on its disintegration,” Ajayi urged.
AYDM also demanded a thorough investigation and prosecution of individuals aiding and abetting these crimes.
The group concluded with a strong call on President Tinubu and the National Assembly to immediately initiate the urgent restructuring of Nigeria to ensure true federalism and restore the autonomy of the federating units.
“Only a restructured Nigeria where every region can protect its land and people, control its resources, and govern itself in line with its values and aspirations can put an end to this madness,” the statement read.
