…Says Rev Dachomo’s claims are false, inciting, and aimed at eroding public confidence in security agencies
By Nkechi Eze
The Joint Task Force Operation ENDURING PEACE (JTF OPEP) has debunked and strongly condemned a viral video circulating online in which one Reverend Dachomo made alarming allegations about alleged plans by Fulani terrorists to attack communities in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau State.
According to the JTF, the claims are not only false and misleading but also a calculated attempt to inflame public sentiment, incite ethnic and religious divisions, and undermine the ongoing efforts of security agencies to maintain peace in the area.
In a statement signed by the Media Information Officer of Operation ENDURING PEACE, Major Samson Nantip Zhakom, the Task Force described the viral video as “a clear case of propaganda intended to erode public confidence in security agencies and cause unnecessary tension among residents.”
The statement noted that the video surfaced amid heightened tension following the recent killing of a herder, the death of 36 cows, and the rustling of 49 others in Barkin Ladi incidents which have already strained intercommunal relations in the region.
Major Zhakom explained that the cleric’s allegations of a “mass mobilisation of Fulani terrorists through Nyerwai” and claims that security forces had withdrawn troops from the area were completely unfounded. He also dismissed Rev. Dachomo’s accusation that a Fulani leader was influencing security agencies to shield suspects from arrest as “baseless and malicious.”
“The viral video by Rev. Dachomo alleging mobilisation of Fulani terrorists through Nyerwai in Barkin Ladi LGA and accusing security agencies of collusion is a clear case of propaganda intended to inflame public sentiment and erode confidence in security agencies,” Major Zhakom stated.
He further observed that by invoking the name of a Fulani leader, referencing a court judgment in Adamawa State, and accusing Christians in positions of authority of betrayal, the speaker deliberately employed “emotionally charged and divisive narratives” designed to whip up ethno-religious tensions and curry sympathy from the local populace.
“The Reverend’s accusations are baseless and aimed at causing unnecessary tension. JTF OPEP condemns these misleading narratives and hereby warns the propagator to desist from causing panic and discord among the peace-loving people of Plateau State or face the full wrath of the law,” the statement added.
Reassuring residents of the affected areas of their safety, Major Zhakom disclosed that troops of Operation ENDURING PEACE deployed within Sector 4 Areas of Responsibility (AOR) have continued to intensify patrols and surveillance operations around Nyerwai and Dorowa, in a bid to prevent any breakdown of law and order.
He emphasized that the command of JTF OPEP remains resolute and fully committed to its mandate of restoring peace, stability, and harmony across the Joint Operations Area (JOA).
The Task Force also called on all stakeholders including traditional rulers, religious leaders, and members of civil society to avoid making inflammatory statements capable of worsening the fragile peace in the area.
“Instead of spreading fear and division, we must all rally around our shared goal of a peaceful, united, and secure Plateau State,” the statement concluded.
