Plateau crisis: Muslim Hausa/ Fulani communities strongly reject Gov Mutfwang’s controversial call for military withdrawal

July 21, 2025

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Leaders of the Muslim and Hausa-Fulani communities in Plateau State have voiced strong opposition to Governor Caleb Mutfwang’s call for the withdrawal of military personnel from peacekeeping duties in the state.

In a statement released on Sunday and signed by Elder Sani Mudi, the group expressed deep concern over the Governor’s request, citing fears that members of the Muslim and Fulani communities are being deliberately targeted.

They referenced past incidents of what they described as violations of their rights and existence, arguing that these experiences justify their apprehension. The group urged the government to focus on addressing the root causes of the recurring crises in the state, rather than calling for the removal of soldiers from conflict-prone areas.

They gave examples of the abuse of mobile police uniforms during the 2008 post-election crisis in Jos, where they claimed hundreds of innocent Muslims were killed by some killer squad in police uniforms.

Part of the statement reads:

“We, Muslims and Hausa-Fulani leaders, express fears that the call for the removal of soldiers from peacekeeping operations is mischievous and a grand plan to give room to some people to execute their evil plans of ridding Plateau of the presence of Hausa and Fulani, regarded as unwanted settlers in the state.”