Human rights activist and founder of the Northern Star Youth group, Naja’atu Muhammad, has accused Nigerian politicians of using insecurity as a political weapon by working with bandits and turning them into political thugs.
Speaking in an interview on Channels Television’s breakfast show, The Morning Brief, on Tuesday, Naja’atu blamed the rising violence in Plateau State and other parts of the country on deliberate neglect and manipulation by those in power.
“Our common enemy is the government that has failed to protect its citizens,” she said. “The problem is not between the Fulani and the Berom people. They are both victims. No one chose where they were born, and the Nigerian Constitution gives everyone the right to live peacefully wherever they are.”
Naja’atu strongly criticized the political elite, accusing some of them of not only failing to tackle insecurity but actively supporting it.
“One of the top bandits once said he works with powerful people. He even named them, yet they still hold high offices,” she claimed. “Recently, during Eid, he killed 15 people like animals and filmed it.”
She stressed that insecurity is not just a Plateau State issue but a national crisis, especially in northern Nigeria.
“To the victims, it doesn’t matter who the killer is, whether it’s bandits, herdsmen, or IPOB, the fact is someone has died,” she said. “The government has failed in its most basic duty, which is to protect its people.”
Naja’atu also accused politicians of deliberately creating ethnic and religious divisions to cover up their failures in governance.
“They use these divisions to distract us. Politicians have even used bandits as thugs. Yes, political thugs,” she said. “When they refuse to fund education or fail to pay salaries, like during Jang’s time as governor, they push people to blame ‘settlers’ instead of the real problem the government.”
She also criticized the media for being biased in its coverage of victims of violence.
“The media is part of the problem too. They pick and choose which victims to support and which ones to ignore,” she said. “We must be honest. The government keeps lying to us, but the truth is, we are all in danger.”
