Security expert Onyekachi Adekoya has challenged the prevailing international narrative surrounding Nigeria’s security crisis, asserting that Muslim communities in the North are currently the primary victims of the ongoing violence.
Speaking on News Central TV, on Tuesday February 24, 2026, Adekoya argued that the conflicts often labeled as “farmer-herder clashes” are actually rooted in centuries-old ethnic agitations that have been misinterpreted by the global community.
Adekoya, who spoke candidly about his own diverse background to underscore his neutrality, pointed to a deep-seated historical friction between the Hausa people and Fulani groups that dates back to the 18th and 19th centuries.
“I’m a Christian. My mom is from the southeastern part. I’m Yoruba by tribe and I would tell you categorically that the Muslims are the most impacted by this thing,” Adekoya stated. “There is some sort of underlining agitation between the hausawa original land owners against the core Fulanis fundamentalist that have held them in subjugation for several years even just from late 19th century or 18th century there about.”
According to Adekoya, the “farmer-herder” label frequently used by media and international observers masks a much more complex struggle for land and local autonomy.
He expressed concern that because the victims are often Muslim, their plight is overlooked by those focused on religious persecution narratives.
“Some of those agitations are now presenting themselves as farmer header clashes which in truth is not what it is,” he explained. “So nobody is coming to the aid of the Hausa, and majority of them are Muslims, and they’re suffering a lot.”
The expert further noted that international perceptions are beginning to shift as the reality on the ground contradicts simplified accounts of religious warfare…. Discover More
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