Human rights lawyer and activist Dele Farotimi has taken a swipe at the Nigerian government, accusing it of deliberately trivialising the mass killings in parts of the country by describing them as “farmer-herder clashes” instead of what he insists is a systematic genocide.
Farotimi made the remarks on Friday while appearing on Channels Television’s Hard Copy programme.
He condemned what he called the government’s “habit of dressing up tragedy in polite language,” arguing that such behaviour not only conceals the truth but also emboldens perpetrators.
According to him, the narrative of a conflict between farmers and herders is “false and offensive,” given the nature of the attacks and the sophistication of the weapons used.
“It is absurd to call this a clash. How can poor farmers armed with hoes and cutlasses be said to be clashing with people carrying AK-47s and M-16 rifles? That’s not a conflict, it’s mass murder, ” he said.
Farotimi noted that international attention has once again focused on Nigeria’s insecurity, following recent comments attributed to former U.S. President Donald Trump, who described the violence as genocide.
He argued that the government’s denial is now being challenged by external voices who are unafraid to use the right terminology.
“We have been saying this for years. Now that someone outside the country has spoken up, suddenly the government is uncomfortable.
”But truth doesn’t lose its value because it comes from someone you dislike, ” he said.
He criticised the authorities for what he called willful blindness, saying officials were fully aware of the atrocities taking place but prefer to play politics with language rather than confront the perpetrators.
The activist lamented that while villages are being wiped out and victims buried in mass graves, officials remain preoccupied with semantics.
“People are dying every week..Yet, the focus is on whether Trump used the word ‘genocide’ or not. I don’t need him to tell me what I have seen with my own eyes.
”For nearly ten years, I have described what is happening in Nigeria as genocide—and I stand by that, ” he said.
Farotimi also accused certain figures within government of complicity, alleging that their silence is not ignorance but protection of vested interests.
“They don’t need anyone from abroad to tell them what’s happening here.
“They are aware and in many cases, they benefit from the impunity that allows this to continue, ” he added.
His comments added to a chorus of criticism both within and outside Nigeria over the government’s inability to stem the tide of violence that has claimed thousands of lives and displaced entire communities.
Civil society groups and international observers have repeatedly urged authorities to take stronger action, but Farotimi believes official responses remain cosmetic.
“A state that cannot protect its citizens has lost its moral right to govern,.
“What is happening in Nigeria today is not a clash of communities, it’s the slow death of a nation’s conscience.”
