A native of Yelewata, Franc Utoo, Esq., has issued a situation report detailing the recent discovery and disruption of a Fulani settlement established in the community last week. In a statement dated August 9, 2026, Utoo said he had received three video recordings showing the arrest and interrogation of individuals he described as Fulani jihadists linked to the settlement. He indicated he would not release the videos publicly at this time.
According to the recordings, officers of Operation Zenda raided the location and made arrests. During interrogation, those detained reportedly claimed that soldiers had brought them to the area, allegedly with the permission and involvement of certain local collaborators, including a person identified only as “Zaki.”
Utoo described the claims as serious and insisted they must not be ignored, swept under the carpet, or treated as ordinary. He called for a transparent, independent, and thorough investigation by the appropriate authorities. The people of Yelewata, he stated, deserve to know who authorised the movement of the settlers, who facilitated it, and under what authority individuals characterised as terrorists were brought to occupy land belonging to owners who remain displaced.
He further observed that those seeking to take advantage of communities often succeed because individuals within the communities themselves are willing to compromise the safety, future, and ancestral inheritance of their own people. Anyone from Yelewata or its surrounding communities who had previously denied the existence of the settlement and associated grazing activities, despite the evidence now available, should be asked serious questions, he said.
Utoo emphasised that the community had never authorised any local group or individual to speak on its behalf concerning the matter. He warned that no one should claim to represent the people of Yelewata without a clear mandate from the community, noting that too many people are willing to speak for the people while working against their interests.
He expressed appreciation for the proactive and swift response of the police officers of Operation Zenda in addressing the sensitive situation. He also thanked Bishop Wilfred Anagbe for responding quickly and standing with the community at a critical time. Regarding the military, particularly those stationed in and around the community, Utoo said he would refrain from making further comments for now.
