‘I tried to stop them, but my people killed 46 Christians’ – Plateau Fulani elder

A Fulani elder who has lived in the Hurti community in Manguna District, Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau State for more than 30 years has confirmed that the gunmen who attacked the village and killed 46 people were members of his own tribe.

According to Daily Post, the revelation came through a video shared on Tuesday by journalist Masara Kim Usman, in which the respected community leader recalled how he tried to stop the attackers but was ignored.

The elder, known in the community for his peaceful disposition despite being Fulani and Muslim, said the armed men spoke the Fulani dialect fluently as they launched the assault on Christian residents.

He explained that he stepped forward to speak to the attackers in their language, pleading with them to spare the community. Terrified women and children reportedly ran to him for protection, believing his identity might help de-escalate the situation.

However, the gunmen refused to listen. He said they told him nothing would stop their operation before pushing him aside and proceeding to shoot residents and burn homes belonging to Christians.

The attack left 46 people dead and several houses destroyed.

The elder said what hurt him most was that the perpetrators were fellow Fulani men who ignored his appeals to spare people he had lived with “as friends and family” for 32 years.

He also noted that no Muslim or Fulani resident in Hurti was targeted during the attack—an observation residents say underscores the religious dimension of violence in parts of the Middle Belt, contrasting with the pattern of insurgency in the Northeast and banditry in the Northwest, where victims often cut across religious lines.

Recounting the ordeal, he said:

“Women were trooping to my place and begging me to rescue them. If I had the power, I would have done so. I have lived with them for so many years and they have become my family. When they left, I went to the hills and watched everything. Then the attackers regrouped and continued shooting all over the town. We hid in one room while the gunfire went on for a long time, killing so many people.”