Plateau State: Group Alleges Media Bias Against Fulani Community

 By Abah Margaret

A group known as “The Fulani Defenders” has accused media organisations in Plateau State of alleged bias against the Fulani ethnic group, claiming that attacks on herders and cattle rustling incidents are either under-reported or ignored.

In a statement issued on Monday and signed by its coordinator, Ahmad Abba, the group alleged that sections of the media in the state consistently portray Fulani people as criminals, killers, and land grabbers, while overlooking criminal activities involving other ethnic groups.

Abba expressed concern that incidents of violence in rural communities are often attributed to Fulani herders without what he described as balanced investigation or reporting.

According to the group, attacks on Fulani herdsmen and the rustling of their cattle by local criminal gangs — particularly those they referred to as “Berom militias” — receive little media attention. However, they claimed that when Fulani individuals are implicated in violent incidents, such cases are widely reported with what they termed exaggerated narratives.

The group also alleged that comments by outspoken cleric Ezekiel Dachomo and the National President of the Berom Youth Moulders Association (BYM), Samuel Mwantiri, have contributed to the profiling of Fulani people as criminals in the state.

“We are deeply worried about what we see as persistent media bias against the Fulani people in Plateau State,” Abba stated. “While we acknowledge that criminal elements exist within every ethnic group, it is unfair to single out the Fulani for every act of violence.”

The group maintained that Fulani communities have also been victims of attacks and called on media organisations to ensure fairness, balance, and objectivity in their reportage.

“Fulanis are not the only perpetrators of crimes in Plateau State. We are also victims. Without peace, there will be no development,” Abba added.

Efforts to reach representatives of the Berom Youth Moulders Association and Rev. Dachomo for comments were not immediately successful as of the time of filing this report.