A Plateau farmer and entrepreneur has lamented the destruction of his farmland by suspected Fulani Ethnic Militia (FEM), who continue to dislodge dozens of residents across various communities in the Middle Region of Nigeria, forcefully grabbing lands.
In an exclusive interview with Equipping the Persecuted’ s award-winning journalist, Usman Kim Masara, Pam Bulus had written on his Facebook Page, “Look at this act of provocation by Fulani militia on Gassa land again last night 24/4/2026,” added, “This is my farm, my cabbage farm, where I have seen a lot of resources. It’s almost done, about to be harvested. But just the day before yesterday, we came to the farm to harvest the cabbage for the market. And on coming yesterday, we discovered the farm had been destroyed.”
The resident of Gassa, also known as Hwol Gassa, a farming community in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of the state, accused the FEM of the dastardly act.
“Who are the perpetrators? Who are those who destroy the farm? The Fulanis in their beat to cripple us economically. They came without us doing anything to them. They came, they macheted this cabbage head by head, one after the other, until they finished the whole farm. And of course, this is not just like that.
“But I felt it’s an act of provocation just to trigger us to start something that they will come and say they were here for revenge. But what will revenge will you do on crops? On food that we have cultivated for everybody to eat, for the nation and for economic purposes? And now look at what they have caused us, he decried.
Bulus lamemented that the action has also affected their means of livelihood in addition to lack of safety.
“We don’t have any source of income again. This is where we have channeled our resources with the aim of getting an income. First to survive, [and second] to feed the family in the villages.
“We are no longer safe in our houses; we are not safe in our farms, we are not safe. We can’t do anything again for survival. I don’t know what’s really going on,” the emotional middle-aged agronomist cried out.
Plateau farmer and entrepreneur, Pam Bulus. Credit: Pam Bulus
Citing recent attacks in the region, the Plateau farmer gave a graphic presentation of what innocent citizens go through in remote areas of the state.
“Within the past week, three people were killed in this community. And it will interest you to know that two of those killed were youths who were captured and slaughtered like goats and thrown away.
“One at Rahul Gasa and one at Repun Gassa. And the most recent was one that was slaughtered very close to a checkpoint at Rapun Gassa and he shout and was shouting even the inhabitants of the village heard his voice but the security men could not go and rescue him and it was after those attacks that these farms were mowed again by the Fulani,” he alleged.
Residents are seen counting their losses. Credit: Pam Bulus
“Kidnappers screen the people. They allow Muslims in the car to go free”
According to him, “Terrorists who still came back yesterday again to our community to invade another village, Rahul Gasa, where they killed two people who were on surveillance. Before then, why do we have to say they were Fulani? Because some people were kidnapped here at Rahul Gasa while they were coming from the Quan Pan or Shandam Local Government Area. And the kidnappers screen the people. They allow Muslims in the car to go free while they live with two Christians.
“And one of the Christians who escaped that night from the hands of the kidnappers came and told us that those who kidnapped them were Fulanis. And they ran towards Fas. They usually call Fas Tafawa. They have changed their name to Tafawa. But what we know is Fas. And they dislodge our people and are occupying that place.”
The victim also disclosed that, as Christians, members of their community harboured Muslims who escaped from the hands of kidnappers in their Church and fed them.
“They run to that place with them. That is what made us know that the perpetrators are Fulanis and those Muslims that they allowed them, we gave them refuge in our Church. COCIN Church Gassa. That was where we held them till morning, when we now handed them over to members of the STF sector four of Barikin Ladi.
“It was after that that we came to the farm again in the night. They were seen people were seen with torches, were seen here, but when the security that was there at the whole Gassa came.
“They discovered that the people who came to cut this cabbage run towards this direction, and the direction is a place that is inhabited by the Fulani. There is no any Berom village again in this area except Fulani,” he narrated.
Mr. Pam Bulus‘ cabbage farm in Gassa, allegedly matched by suspected Fulani Ethnic Militia. Credit: Pam Bulus
“Their agenda is land grabbing and then Islamisation.”
Bulus alleged that the FEM has a grand agenda of Islamising the Christian-dominated region through intimidation and land grabbing.
“One will always ask why this attack, why these killings?” the passionate man asked rhetorically, but provided an answer.
“I would believe that their agenda is land grabbing and then Islamisation. They want to Islamise us by force and we refuse. And again, they needed to take over our land and we are refusing.
“We are saying, no, this land is ours and we are going to defend it. And they are fighting because they want to take over this land,” he stated.
Showing his farmland and that of his neighbour, with mixed cropping, which were destroyed by the Fulani, the distressed farmer gave a vivid account of the carnage.
“These are more farms that were destroyed last night. Just the way I’ve just spoken over there. This is my neighbour. In his farms, he had so many… In fact, this farm is mixed farming. It’s mixed cropping. He has cassava, maize, apple. You could see them. And they were glowing fine. They were coming up very fine. But last night, that same day that they came for this mayhem.
“They cut down virtually all the plants, all the pawpaw. They even cut down some part of the maze just to cripple him. And if somebody who is just upcoming, you could see him there looking at the farm, still assessing what really happens. And he’s just left with imagination,” Bulus lamented.
Referring to his neighbour, the entrepreneur noted that these attacks on innocent farmers are carried out without provocation.
“He didn’t do anything to anybody. He did not provoke them. Look at, this is the farm. This is the maze that was caught completely using a matchet. Their intention was to just clear the farm completely. This is my neighbour’s farm. Can you see? This is what he has been doing for survival. And look at, yes, there is one there. Look at it there. Just much more.
“I think this is the last farm around this area, but subsequently, if you go up there, bigger farms were caught last night and were mowed down completely. Is this the first of such destructions? We understand there was something that was cut; they were destroyed by grazing last year late last year, around Gassa…this is not the first time until date,” he said.
Bigger farmlands that were destroyed in the community. Credit: Pam Bulus
“There has not been compensation,” or arrests
He accused the military of inaction, alleging that the attack happened near a checkpoint, but there was no intervention or rescue.
“Those farms that you are talking about, there has not been compensation regarding that. Since the case was reported to the STF, till today, they kept telling the people, come tomorrow, come tomorrow. I think last week, they went back to the STF and the STF pursued them.
“Yes, the owners that we chased them away from the checkpoint. So we should leave their place. That was just, I think it was last week. Yes! Last week before this particular,” he claimed.
