Nigerian Government Knows the real Perpetrators Of Yelewata Massacre but Unwilling To Act — Anti-Genocide Activist, Utoo
Anti-genocide advocate Franc Utoo has accused the Nigerian government of withholding action against individuals responsible for the Yelwatta massacre, claiming their identities are well known to security agencies.
Utoo made the claims during an interview with journalist Rudolf Okonkwo on 90MinutesAfrica, where he asserted that the attackers were Fulani fighters, many of whom he said came from neighbouring Nasarawa State.
While noting that some of the fighters were allegedly mobilised from other areas, Utoo claimed the operation was coordinated by individuals he identified as Babaji, whom he described as a Fulani leader operating in the Kadonko axis of Nasarawa State, and Seriki Samari, whom he portrayed as a French-speaking Fulani fighter known for violent activity.
According to Utoo, the assailants reportedly gathered in a nearby settlement a few kilometres from Yelwatta, where they allegedly observed prayers for close to an hour before advancing on the community to carry out the attack
He maintained that the perpetrators’ identities are not in doubt, arguing that the real obstacle is what he described as the government’s reluctance to act decisively.
“These people are known,” Utoo said during the programme. “The issue is sincerity. They are not operating in isolation. They are backed by powerful interests politicians, traditional rulers, and oligarchs which is why arrests are rarely made.”
Beyond the Yelwatta incident, the lawyer also criticised recent remarks by the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Reverend Matthew Hassan Kukah, accusing him of minimising what Utoo described as the systematic targeting of Christians in parts of northern Nigeria.
Utoo expressed disappointment over what he characterised as a shift in Kukah’s public position, contrasting it with statements the cleric made roughly a decade ago warning of the threat of extermination facing Christian communities in the region.
He suggested that the bishop’s current tone may be influenced by political considerations, citing Kukah’s perceived closeness to Bola Ahmed Tinubu and reports of discussions within the ruling party that have mentioned the cleric as a possible vice-presidential candidate.
Utoo questioned the propriety of a serving Catholic bishop being linked to partisan political calculations, arguing that such speculation undermines confidence in the neutrality of his recent interventions on security and religious violence.
