One of the Fulani Killers in Yelwata Massacre Was a Serving Army Officer — Franc Utoo’s Stark Revelation

In a deeply troubling interview, Franc Utoo — a native of Yelewata and former Special Assistant to the ex-Governor of Benue State — claimed that one of the suspected Fulani gunmen behind the brutal massacre of over 200 people in Yelewata was actually an active officer in the Nigerian Army.

According to Utoo, this discovery underscores a disturbing level of complicity and infiltration within security forces.

Utoo alleged that in a previous skirmish, two of the Fulani militants killed by the military were later identified as serving soldiers. He said their military identity cards were found on their bodies following the encounter. This, Utoo argues, reveals not just negligence, but a calculated strategy of infiltration by militants within the ranks of the Nigerian military.

He went further, alleging that one of the men arrested after the massacre confessed to being armed and facilitated by a Fulani soldier named “Suleiman” stationed nearby. According to Utoo, no public investigation has addressed Suleiman’s involvement since his detention.

The revelations have reignited fierce calls for accountability. Critics, including Utoo, argue that the pattern of attacks goes beyond mere herder-farmer conflict — framing it as a deliberate campaign of ethnic violence and land seizure.