Plateau: Fulani herders accuse DSS of intimidation, rights infringement

The Fulani community in the Kwok, Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau State, has accused operatives of the Department of State Services, DSS, of intimidation, harassment and infringements of their rights following a spate of raids conducted in the area.

A community leader, Yusuf Muhammad, who revealed this in a recorded video shared on social media platforms on Saturday, said the security operatives have been raiding the Fulani community regularly, during which they would assault the people, destroy their property, make indiscriminate arrests and sexually assault women.

Muhammad said that apart from intimidating and harassing residents of the community during such raids, the DSS operatives subject them to different kinds of violence, and in the process, steal their valuables.

“We are making it known that DSS operatives have been intimidating and harassing our people in the Kwok community in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau State on several occasions.

“Our people have not committed crimes that will warrant these raids where they arrest our people indiscriminately, steal our properties, and sexually assault our women, including married women,” Muhammad said.

Muhammad further alleged that DSS operatives had been coming to the community for four consecutive days, and during such raids, they would inflict untold anguish on the people.

“On the first day of the operation, the operatives stormed the community around 12:00pm on Saturday, shooting sporadically,” Muhammad said.

“They dispersed residents and cattle. Even children were affected, and many were injured. Is that how security operatives are expected to operate, even with an alleged attempted sexual harassment?

‘”They assaulted women. We are Nigerian citizens like any other person. We will follow all legal means to ensure justice is served,” he added.

Also speaking, another community leader, Abubakar Usman, described the development as terrifying and wondered why security agencies would target the community even though they have not been engaged in any act of violence.

“We don’t know why security operatives always come to our community. If they suspect anything, they should come in a manner that will not amount to harassment and intimidation.

“If they suspect any bad element, they should inform us, and we will help them arrest the person,” Usman said.