Odita Sunday 
Plateau Youths Allege Plot to Undermine Security Operations, Demand Protection for DSS Director
….Coalition cites attacks on security personnel, alleges campaign to discredit joint operations; urges Tinubu to resist pressure to discontinue crackdown**
By Odita Sunday
The Coalition of Indigenous Youth Nationalities in Plateau State has alleged a plot to undermine ongoing security operations in the state, urging President Bola Tinubu and other federal authorities to resist any attempt to discontinue the joint operations of the Department of State Services (DSS), Mobile Police Force and Operation Rainbow.
The coalition, which comprises several indigenous ethnic youth organisations in Plateau State, said a petition and a video circulating on social media that accused security agencies of bias against Fulani communities could undermine efforts to restore peace and protect vulnerable communities.
Addressing a press conference at the National Secretariat of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, on Wednesday, the coalition described the allegations against the security agencies as a campaign of calumny designed to discredit their operations and intimidate the Plateau State Director of the DSS, Mr Paul Damian.
The statement was jointly signed by Amb. Ezekiel Peter Bini, President of the Irigwe Youths Movement and Chairman of the Coalition of Indigenous Youth Nationalities in Plateau State; Dalyop Solomon Mwantiri, Esq., President of the Berom Youths Moulder-Association and Northern Zone Coordinator; Amb. Miri Timnan Nyantau, President of the Tarok Progressive Youths Association and Southern Zone Coordinator; and Mr Jonathan Kyesmang Yusuf, President of the Mwagavwul Youths and Central Zone Coordinator.
The coalition was reacting to a petition dated October 5, 2026, signed by Mudahid Abdullahi, Esq., on behalf of the Plateau chapters of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), Gan Allah Fulani Development Association of Nigeria (GAFDAN), Fulbe Youth Development Association (FUYODA) and other groups.
According to the coalition, the petition accused security agencies of biased and discriminatory operations against Fulani communities and alleged that the DSS should be held responsible for killings, abductions, cattle rustling, poisoning and shootings of cows in Plateau State.
The indigenous youth groups, however, rejected the allegations, insisting that the petition and accompanying video required thorough scrutiny to establish their credibility and determine whether they were intended to influence federal authorities against the ongoing security operations.
“The Coalition of Plateau Indigenous Youth Bodies smells a rat in the ongoing campaign of calumny orchestrated against the person of the Director, Operations of the DSS, the Mobile Police Force and the Plateau State security outfit, Operation Rainbow,” the statement said.
The coalition alleged that the campaign had five major objectives: to intimidate and blackmail Damian; discredit the operations of the DSS, Mobile Police and Operation Rainbow; disrupt joint security operations and intelligence sharing; discourage cooperation between security agencies and vulnerable communities; and portray the Nigerian Army as the only effective security force in addressing violence in Plateau State.
It maintained that the allegations should not be accepted without an independent assessment of the circumstances surrounding the security operations and the persistent attacks on communities and security personnel.
The coalition said the joint operations had brought renewed attention to what it described as a pattern of attacks on indigenous communities, alleging that armed elements sometimes accompanied cattle herders and used grazing activities as a cover for violence and territorial occupation.
According to the statement, the coalition has documented at least 152 hamlets, villages and communities that it said had suffered attacks, displacement or other forms of violence.
It argued that the security operations should be assessed against the experiences of affected communities and the need to prevent further killings, abductions, destruction of crops and displacement.
The coalition also defended the DSS director, saying it had no evidence linking him or his agency to the alleged killing, poisoning or rustling of cattle.
It said security personnel sometimes intercepted cattle found grazing on farmers’ lands and held them pending the identification of those responsible.
“The Coalition of Indigenous Youth Bodies and, indeed, all other peace-loving Nigerians have come to be more aware that the practice and sinister motive behind grazing cattle with batches of militants, bandits as well as terrorist elements carrying lethal weapons and attacking hamlets, villages and communities is a strategy of war and forceful occupation of territory currently being unleashed on Plateau communities,” the statement alleged.
The coalition’s position was that allegations of misconduct against security agencies should be investigated, but should not automatically lead to the withdrawal of personnel or the discontinuation of operations that it believes are helping to contain violence.
To support its position, the coalition cited several incidents in which it alleged that security personnel had been attacked or killed while carrying out their duties.
It claimed that armed groups attacked a newly deployed DSS base at Nding Sesut, Fan, in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area, on June 1, 2026.
The coalition further alleged that on August 23, 2026, armed attackers invaded Tanjol and Tarai villages in Jol community, killing two DSS officers and carting away their weapons, including a multipurpose machine gun and an AK-47 rifle.
According to the statement, the attackers subsequently retreated towards their alleged hideout at Rankum, Mahanga, in Riyom Local Government Area.
The coalition also alleged that Mobile Police personnel were killed at Dares and Kwi villages in Bokkos and Riyom local government areas, respectively, about two weeks before the press conference.
It further cited the killing of DSP David Babale, identified in the statement as the Operations Officer of Operation Rainbow, who was allegedly ambushed near a military checkpoint around Rakok village, on the outskirts of Barkin Ladi town.
The coalition also recalled injuries allegedly sustained by DSS operatives who were ambushed at Kantoma and Alohgom in Mangu Local Government Area while responding to distress calls from communities under attack.
“These incidents demonstrate the dangers confronting personnel deployed to protect vulnerable communities and underscore the need to strengthen, rather than weaken, security operations,” the coalition argued.
The allegations and casualty claims presented by the coalition were not independently verified in the statement.
While defending the DSS and other participating agencies, the coalition called for a thorough investigation into allegations of unprofessional conduct, corruption, compromise and complacency involving some security personnel.
It specifically questioned what it described as the preference expressed in the circulating video for the Nigerian Army over other security agencies.
The coalition said the video should be examined alongside other available evidence to establish whether any individual or group was attempting to obstruct effective inter-agency collaboration.
It stressed that its call for an investigation was not a declaration of guilt against any security personnel, but an appeal for the relevant authorities to establish the facts and address any wrongdoing.
“The Coalition of the Indigenous bodies ‘smell a rat’ such as the one in the video that prefers the Nigerian Army against the transparent and effective operations mounted by the DSS and other security agencies calls for thorough investigation,” the statement said.
The coalition alleged that attempts to set security agencies against one another could undermine intelligence sharing and cooperation with local security volunteers, thereby creating opportunities for armed groups to exploit divisions among the forces.
It urged the Federal Government to ensure that all security agencies operated within the law, collaborated effectively and remained accountable for their conduct.
The indigenous youth groups further alleged that individuals they described as sponsors of armed groups were mobilising about N20 million to support media campaigns, petitions and court actions aimed at frustrating the ongoing security operations.
The coalition did not provide documentary evidence of the alleged funding in the statement.
It also expressed concern over what it described as plans to use media publications and legal actions to influence public opinion and federal decision-making concerning the security situation in Plateau State.
The coalition urged media organisations to exercise due diligence in reporting competing claims and to give affected communities and relevant security agencies an opportunity to respond to allegations.
It maintained that allegations of discrimination against any community should be investigated fairly, while the experiences of communities affected by violence and the deaths of security personnel should not be ignored.
The coalition said the operations of the DSS, Mobile Police Force and Operation Rainbow, working alongside local security volunteers, had produced results, including the arrest of individuals it described as suspected militant leaders and their alleged foot soldiers.
It specifically cited the arrest of Ardo Mahmoud Adams, whom it described as a notorious alleged leader of Fulani militants, bandits and terrorists.
The circumstances of the arrest, the specific charges against Adams and the status of any proceedings were not detailed in the statement.
The coalition also claimed that the joint operations had contributed to a reduction in mass attacks on communities and the destruction of crops.
It urged the security agencies to sustain targeted operations against armed groups while ensuring that innocent residents were protected and that every operation complied with applicable laws.
The statement said: “As far as the Coalition of the Plateau Youths is concerned, there is incontrovertible evidence that the DSS, Mobile Police Force and Operation Rainbow’s operations are effective, on track and yielding significant results, including arrest of some ring-leaders and their foot-soldiers, reduction in mass attacks on communities and crops destruction.”
The coalition called for greater support for the agencies, arguing that the safety of residents should remain the overriding consideration in decisions affecting the deployment and leadership of security personnel.
The coalition appealed to President Tinubu and relevant federal authorities not to allow petitions or social media campaigns to determine the continuation of security operations without a careful examination of the evidence.
It also opposed any arbitrary removal or redeployment of Damian, arguing that leadership changes should be based on established institutional procedures and security considerations rather than unsubstantiated allegations.
The group warned that discontinuing operations without compelling justification could weaken efforts to protect communities and expose residents to further attacks.
It said: “The Director, the DSS, Mobile Police, Operation Rainbow and, indeed, vigilantes currently operating in Plateau State need to be appreciated and encouraged to do more precise and penetrating operations so that the battle against insurgency can be given a deadly blow, rather than be distracted.”
The coalition further maintained that the protection of lives and property must take precedence over personal, organisational or political interests, adding that allegations of misconduct should be addressed through lawful investigations rather than through campaigns aimed at discrediting institutions.
It called on the Federal Government to balance accountability with the need to sustain effective security operations, insisting that neither security agencies nor members of any community should be exempted from the law.
In its conclusion, the coalition reaffirmed its commitment to protecting Plateau communities, sustaining lawful security operations and demanding accountability for anyone found to have acted outside the law.
It rejected what it described as selective narratives that focused on allegations against security agencies without adequately acknowledging attacks on local communities and personnel deployed to protect them.
“Plateau State cannot afford to have its security operations weakened by ploys and strategies of manipulation. The protection of innocent lives must take precedence over every personal, organisational or political interest,” the statement said.
The coalition called on the Federal Government and other relevant authorities to ensure that security operations were neither arbitrarily undermined nor discontinued without compelling justification.
It added: “The Coalition’s position is firm: protect the people, confront criminality.”
The statement ended with a call for unity among security agencies, affected communities and government institutions in the pursuit of lasting peace in Plateau State and the country at large.
About the Author
