Coalition Raises Alarm Over Alleged Plan to Discredit Security Operations in Plateau

Our Reporter

Two days after its press conference in Abuja, the Coalition of Plateau State Indigenous Youth Bodies says it has uncovered what it describes as a deliberate attempt to undermine security operations in Plateau State through propaganda.

In a statement dated October 23, 2026, the coalition said it received what it termed credible intelligence that some networks are planning a world press conference in Abuja to portray joint operations by the Department of State Services, Mobile Police and Operation Rainbow as targeted attacks on Fulani communities.

The group said the alleged move is coming at a time when sustained operations have weakened criminal cells and reduced attacks on villages, a development it said has brought relief to many communities across the state.

The coalition, which describes itself as representing communities affected by killings, displacement, kidnapping and destruction of farmlands, said its earlier press conference on October 21 at the NUJ Secretariat in Abuja exposed the activities of armed groups it referred to as terrorists.

The new statement, it said, is to alert government, the public and the international community to what it considers a counter-narrative.

According to the statement, those behind the planned press conference intend to make three broad claims.

First, that operations in Plateau amount to genocide against the Fulani. The coalition described this as an attempt to discredit the DSS and to invert the story of displacement in the Middle Belt and North-West.

It argued that evidence from states including Katsina, Zamfara, Kebbi, Sokoto, Kaduna, Taraba, Plateau, Benue, Nasarawa, Kwara and Kogi, among others including mass graves, burned villages, hostage camps and confessional statements shows indigenous groups such as Berom, Mwaghavul, Irigwe, Ron, Afizere, Ngas, Tiv, Jukun, Hausa, Yoruba and Igbo as victims, not aggressors.

Second, that the DSS is acquiring and supplying drones to indigenous communities to monitor herders while grazing.

The coalition said such an allegation, if made, would amount to an admission of armed activity, noting that, according to it, public videos exist of herders with weapons and records of attacks on civilians and operatives.

 It argued that aerial surveillance is a legitimate tool for troop and community safety.

Third, that the Plateau State Director of DSS, Mr. Paul Damian, is biased because he comes from a minority group in Northern Nigeria.

The coalition questioned the logic of the claim, pointing out that the DSS has maintained a Forward Operating Base in Wase Local Government Area, which it described as predominantly Hausa and Fulani, for over five years, during which operations there were credited with improving safety without similar accusations.

It questioned why concerns about bias would arise only as operations intensified in Barkin Ladi, Bassa, Bokkos, Jos South, Mangu and Riyom.

The coalition called on authorities to investigate those behind the alleged planned press conference and to prosecute where necessary under existing laws, including the Terrorism Prevention and Prohibition Act, 2022.

 It also urged the public to demand verifiable evidence before accepting such claims.

It said it is ready for an independent and impartial inquiry into its assertions, noting that previous claims by opposing groups, including during a meeting at the Miyetti Allah office in Barkin Ladi in January during a visit by the New York Times, were not backed with evidence.

Reaffirming its position, the coalition declared support for the DSS, Mobile Police and Operation Rainbow, saying Plateau must not become a safe haven for criminal groups.

The statement was signed by Amb. Ezekiel Peter Bini, President of Irigwe Youths Movement and Chairman of the coalition; Dalyop Solomon Mwantiri, Esq., President of Berom Youths Moulder-Association and Coordinator for the Northern Zone; Amb. Miri Timnan Nyantau, President of Tarok Progressive Youths Association and Coordinator for the Southern Zone; and Mr. Jonathan Kyesmang Yusuf, President of Mwaghavul Youths Movement and Coordinator for the Central Zone.

At the time of filing this report, the groups alleged to be planning the counter press conference had not responded or made a public statement on the matter.

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