…Calls for UN Investigation, Condemns Government Inaction
By Ehis Agbon | Kaduna | October 19, 2025
The Middle Belt Forum (MBF) has once again sounded the alarm over what it describes as an ongoing genocidal campaign against the indigenous ethnic nationalities of the Middle Belt region, following the latest massacre of 13 Berom natives in Rachas village, Heipang District of Barkin Ladi Local Government Area, Plateau State.
In a strongly worded statement signed by its National Spokesman, Luka Binniyat, the Forum said the killings were part of a wider, systematic, and sustained effort to exterminate indigenous populations, seize ancestral territories, and erase native identities across Central Nigeria.
“The horrifying and escalating campaign of extermination against the indigenous ethnic nationalities of the Middle Belt region fits every international definition of genocide,” the statement declared, referencing the United Nations Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (1948).
Who the Middle Belt Forum Represents
The MBF described itself as the pan-umbrella socio-cultural organization representing all indigenous nationalities of Central Nigeria and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) who are neither Hausa, Fulani, nor Kanuri.
These include the native peoples of the six states of the North Central zone as well as groups in Taraba, Gombe, Adamawa, Southern Kebbi, Southern Bauchi, Southern Kaduna, and Southern Borno.
The Forum noted that these groups have historically defended their autonomy and ancestral lands, resisting domination by both the Kanuri Empire and Fulani Jihadists before and after colonial rule.
‘A Renewed Jihad Turned Genocide’
According to the Forum, a renewed jihadist campaign—now disguised as banditry—has been launched against the indigenous peoples of the Middle Belt by descendants of earlier invaders. It said these elements now manifest through Boko Haram, ISWAP, and Fulani armed groups.
The MBF cited examples across several states, including:
- Borno and Adamawa, where communities such as Gwoza, Madagali, and Askira-Uba have been devastated by Boko Haram and ISWAP attacks since 2010, leaving over 38,000 dead and 2.2 million displaced.
- Taraba, where Jukun, Tiv, Kuteb, and Mumuye communities have reportedly lost over 1,000 lives in three years.
- Benue, where state figures indicate over 6,000 killed and more than 2 million displaced since 2015.
- Plateau, where coordinated night raids have killed over 1,200 people in 2023 alone.
- Southern Kaduna, where the MBF said more than 3,500 people have been massacred since 2015, with hundreds of villages destroyed.
The Forum added that Niger, Nasarawa, Kogi, Gombe, Bauchi, and Kebbi States have also experienced similar patterns of violence, displacement, and land occupation by heavily armed Fulani militias.
Government Inaction and Complicity
While the MBF stopped short of accusing the Nigerian government of directly sponsoring the violence, it condemned what it called “persistent state failure” to prosecute known killers, describing this as “moral and political complicity.”
The statement criticized the practice of granting amnesty or hosting public receptions for bandit leaders, saying such actions “embolden killers and signal to victims that their lives do not matter.”
‘It Is Genocide, Not Banditry’
The Forum insisted that the pattern of violence — targeting specific ethnic groups, destruction of farmlands, churches, and homes, and the occupation of native lands — proves that the crisis is not mere banditry or farmer-herder conflict.
“This is a coordinated and ideologically driven attempt to annihilate the indigenous nationalities of the Middle Belt,” Binniyat said.
MBF’s Demands
The Middle Belt Forum called for:
- A United Nations-led independent inquiry into the killings and displacements.
- Military operations to reclaim occupied territories and ensure safe return of displaced persons.
- Comprehensive resettlement and compensation for victims.
- Official recognition of the killings as genocide.
- Immediate designation of Fulani Ethnic Militias as a terrorist organization.
The Forum urged the international community to intervene before the situation degenerates further, warning that silence and inaction could lead to the total destruction of Nigeria’s indigenous Middle Belt populations.
