Genocide Claims: Solomon Dalung Critiques FG on Plateau Crisis

Solomon Dalung: FG’s Response to Plateau Crisis Labeled Genocide

​Former Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Solomon Dalung, has condemned the recent killings in Plateau State, Nigeria, characterizing them not as isolated incidents but as acts of terrorism and genocide. In a recent interview, Dalung emphasized that labeling these events as mere farmer-herder conflicts diminishes their severity and obscures the true nature of the violence. He stated, “The violence here isn’t a farmer-herder conflict; it’s terrorism.”

Dalung further elaborated that the perpetrators operate in organized enclaves, engaging in activities such as cattle rustling, land grabbing, and establishing parallel governance structures within the forests. He expressed concern over the federal government’s establishment of a Ministry of Livestock, suggesting that it distracts from addressing the core issues. He remarked, “Ministry of Livestock cannot even do anything about this problem.”

Highlighting the gravity of the situation, Dalung invoked the international definition of genocide, “When a group of people attack another group with the intention of wiping them off the face of the earth, it is genocide.”

These statements come in the wake of a series of attacks in Plateau State’s Bokkos Local Government Area, where over 60 lives were lost between April 2 and 3, 2025. The Movement for the Emancipation of Nigeria (MEN) condemned these killings as systematic and genocidal, accusing Fulani militias of orchestrating the violence with the intent to displace indigenous Christian communities.

In response to these developments, rights groups have called for immediate government intervention, urging the designation of the Fulani militias as terrorist organizations, the establishment of a special tribunal to investigate the killings, and the deployment of a permanent security task force to Bokkos.

For a more in-depth understanding of Dalung’s perspective on the Plateau killings, you may find the following interview insightful:​