“Fulani Group Declares: ‘We Deny Accountability for Plateau Community Attacks'”
The Gan Allah Fulani Development Association, GAFDAN, situated in Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau State has maintained that Fulani herdsmen should not be blamed for the lethal assault on Mbwelle village in the Kwatas district of the council where more than 20 individuals lost their lives, including eight from a single family.
Although there have been allegations and conjectures that the attackers belonged to a Fulani militia group, the GAFDAN organization has come forward to clear its members, asserting that the attack was not executed by them as there is a lack of evidence to support the claims.
In a declaration issued on Saturday by the Bokkos Chairman of GAFDAN, Saleh Adamu, the association expressed that it has, for many years, educated its members on the importance of coexisting amicably with their host communities and resisting any attempts to be lured into conflicts, regardless of the provocation.
While denouncing the assault, which he characterized as regrettable and unjustified, Adamu questioned why Fulani individuals should be accused when there is no definitive proof that the attackers were indeed Fulanis.
“I was astonished to learn about the attack, especially as the community had been enjoying a period of relative tranquility. There had been no incidents to warrant this,” Adamu remarked in the statement.
“However, the accusations now claim that the assailants were Fulani people, and I am perplexed as to how they reached such a conclusion so swiftly, especially without any supporting evidence.
“I will unequivocally state here that our people are not accountable for the incident in Mbwelle and in other regions of Plateau State.
“We have been conducting meetings, and peace was gradually being restored. This occurrence is both unfortunate and reprehensible.
“We do not yet know who is accountable. We implore law enforcement agencies to investigate and ensure that the offenders face justice,” Adamu emphasized.
