A viral social media claim alleging that Niger State Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago ordered the removal of Fulani district heads has been found to be false after a review of the governor’s full remarks and independent verification.
The claim originated from an X (formerly Twitter) post by user @timmosion, who shared a video alleging that the governor announced the removal of Fulani district heads in the state. The post quickly gained widespread attention, recording tens of thousands of views, hundreds of reposts, and numerous reactions.
What the Investigation Found
A review of Governor Bago’s speech, translated from Hausa into English, found no evidence that he directed the removal of Fulani district heads.
Instead, the governor used the occasion to urge Fulani community leaders to support the government’s efforts to tackle insecurity by identifying criminal elements operating within their communities.
He also appealed for peaceful coexistence between farmers and herders, advised farmers to avoid cultivating designated grazing routes, warned vigilante groups against intimidation and extortion, and cautioned religious leaders against making statements capable of creating ethnic or religious divisions.
At no point during the speech did he announce the abolition or removal of Fulani district heads.
Clarification From Local Sources
Further checks by a Daily Trust correspondent in Niger State provided additional context to the governor’s remarks.
According to the report, Governor Bago was actually encouraging the Emir of Kagara to give Fulani leaders greater representation within the traditional institution.
He suggested that Fulani leaders should be recognised as district heads where appropriate, rather than being limited to the title of Seriki Fulani. In places where Fulani traditional leaders already existed below district head level, he proposed that their positions could be upgraded to improve their representation in the emirate council.
The governor also addressed concerns over land ownership, stressing that land should not be sold without government approval and warning against attempts to force Fulani residents out of the state.
Verdict
The claim that Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago ordered the removal of Fulani district heads in Niger State is false.
A review of his complete speech, supported by local verification, shows that he made no such declaration. Instead, he called for stronger collaboration between communities to address insecurity and advocated greater traditional representation for the Fulani community within the existing emirate structure.
