The Plateau Initiative for the Development and Advancement of the Natives (PIDAN) has taken a stern position on the status of the Fulani in Plateau state. In a strong worded statement jointly signed by the Secretary General of PIDAN, Mr. Danjuma Dickson Auta and its Vice President 2, Da Alpha John Dakwak, PIDAN clearly expressed an unyielding position which maintains that Fulani are not indigenous people of Plateau state.

PIDAN also clarified that the statement which a reporter with Daily Trust newspaper attributed to the Special Adviser to Plateau State Governor on security, General Goshwe Shipi could have been quoted out of context and mischief as Daily Trust newspaper has always been known for. According to PIDAN, such sensational reportage is capable of twisting the right narratives to rewrite history and therefore cautioned public office holders to henceforth avoid making statements that could be misquoted by mischief makers.

The full text of the statement reads:

FULANI ARE NOT INDEGENES OF PLATEAU – PIDAN’S POSITION

The Plateau Initiative for Development and Advancement of the Natives, an umbrella body of the 56 Ethnic nationalities (Tribes) in Plateau state received with shock, and disbelief, the statement which a reporter particularly in Daily Trust Newspaper of Friday 15th August 2025 credited to the Special Adviser to Governor Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang on security, Gen. Goshwe Shipi, that Fulani are indigenes of Plateau state. Ordinarily, PIDAN would have not been bothered to make any statement to this effect knowing fully well that we know ourselves and the number of tribes that make up Plateau indigenes, and the citizens that are also staying in the state. However, we are concerned with how the wrong narratives are making the rounds across various quarters and we are determined to set the records straight.

Even though we are aware that the said newspaper has always been sensational in her reportage, we feel that the write up was not in the interest of our dear Plateau state. Similarly, PIDAN was concerned about the timing and audience where this statement emanated from which we feel that it cannot be ignored. For the clarity of doubt, this statement was said to have been made at a sensitization meeting attended by Fulani from all the 17 Local Government Areas of the state.

PIDAN being the umbrella body of all the 56 Autochthonous communities in the state would not allow anyone to re-write the history of Plateau thereby bringing people who cannot point out their ancestral land in the state as indigenes of our dear state. Plateau indigenes are fully aware of all the anthropological evidence, and community memory that clearly differentiate the autochthonous ethnic nationalities of the state from the Nomadic Fulani settlers. Our heritage is rooted in cultures, languages and traditions that are distinct from those of the Fulani, and to conflate them as indigenes is to trample upon historical truth and dismiss the lived realities of our people. PIDAN believes that such casual distortion emboldens aggressors and undermines the legal and true position of our moral standing as Plateau indigenes in our fight to protect our ancestral heritage. We as a people will not fold our hands and watch people who have for decades sought to override the cultural map of Nigeria to toy with our emotions for any selfish gain.

PIDAN believes in the administration of His Excellency, Governor Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang and that he would not delve into anything that would throw the state into any crisis and that we believe that the reporter must have quoted the Special Adviser on security to the governor out of context.We will continue to appreciate the efforts of the state government in ensuring peaceful coexistence among indigenes and indeed all citizens in the state. However, PIDAN will not take any attempt of forceful inclusion of people who are yet to show us their ancestral land in the state as part of the indigenes of the state. We are concerned with the way the programme was organized, bringing all Fulani leaders from the 36 states of the federation for a meeting in Plateau state calls for scrutiny. This development has revealed a lot of loopholes and rascalism in government, therefore PIDAN is calling on government and all government appointees to be more careful and watch their utterances during public presentation at all times.

Signed:

Danjuma Dickson Auta

Secretary General

Da Alpha John Dakwak

Vice President 2

count | 468

PIDAN takes a stern position on the status of the Fulani in Plateau state.