Fact-Check: Old Video of Emir Abbas Tafida’s Ultimatum to Fulani Herdsmen Resurfaces with Misleading 2025 Context
BY: Mustapha Lawal
Claim:
The Emir of Muri issued a fresh 30-day ultimatum to Fulani herdsmen to leave Taraba State in 2025.
Verdict:
Misleading! The video is real, but it is not a recent development. It dates back to July 2021 and is being falsely reshared as current.
Full Text:
A video of the Emir of Muri, Alhaji Abbas Njidda Tafida, speaking critically about the activities of criminal Fulani herdsmen and giving a 30-day ultimatum to leave Taraba State is making the rounds on social media.
The video, which lasts just over two minutes, has been shared with captions suggesting that the Emir made the statement in 2025 in response to renewed violence and insecurity in the state.
In the clip, the Emir is heard saying, “We’re giving the Fulani herdsmen 30 days to leave Taraba State. If they fail to comply, we’ll track them down one by one and deal with them. They’ve been abducting our people repeatedly; this must stop.”
The video also includes him questioning the religious and moral values of those involved in criminality, saying, “If you truly follow Islam as we do, why then are you kidnapping fellow Muslims?”
He also questioned why the southern regions have been more tolerant of the same groups, saying, “If people in the North can ask them to leave, why are Southerners treating them with leniency?”
The post has gone viral across platforms, especially X (formerly Twitter), where it has garnered thousands of views and reactions. On Facebook, it was shared by several users here, here, here, here, here, here, and here on April 10, 2025, with additional claims suggesting it reflects a current development.
Clashes between Fulani herders and Muri residents in Taraba State have been ongoing since 2018, stemming from disputes over land and grazing routes. These conflicts have resulted in fatalities, displacement, and extensive destruction. Despite attempts to establish peace, the violence has persisted into 2025, causing significant concern. Numerous claims have arisen surrounding the situation, some true and others false.
FactCheckAfrica observed that the posts appeared on various platforms between April 7 and 10, 2025, and decided to verify their authenticity due to their potential for wider reach.
Verification:
FactCheckAfrica conducted a reverse image search using Google Lens on keyframes from the video. We traced the original video and found that it dates back to July 2021, not 2025. The Emir made the remarks during an address after Eid prayers, expressing concern over the rising spate of kidnappings and insecurity in the Muri region of Taraba State. Reports of the 2021 incident were widely covered by national media, including Punch, Channels TV, and TVC News.
The speech followed a series of attacks and abductions in Taraba attributed to suspected criminal herders. The Emir gave the 30-day ultimatum as a warning to Fulani community leaders to call their errant members to order or risk community retaliation.
There is no recent news or public statement from the Emir of Muri making similar remarks in 2025. Further keyword searches for recent events involving a new ultimatum or speech from the Emir yielded no credible results.
Conclusion:
The claim that the Emir of Muri, Abbas Tafida, recently issued a fresh 30-day ultimatum to Fulani herdsmen in 2025 is misleading. The video in circulation is authentic but dates back to July 2021, and its recent reemergence is being misrepresented to suggest a new development. As misinformation around ethnic and security issues can inflame tensions, the public is advised to verify dates and sources before sharing such content.
